Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) Marine Sciences Laboratory (Sequim, WA) have a new tool in the quest to reduce the cost of producing biofuels from algae. An indoor system was designed to mimic the conditions of outdoor ponds as part of the Development of Integrated Screening, Cultivar Optimization, and Validation Research (DISCOVR) project.
Algae holds great potential as a feedstock for biofuels, and under the right conditions, algae could be up to 100 times more productive than cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks. Determining strains of algae that are highly productive could help lower the cost of biofuel production. the Bioenergy Technologies Office’s Advanced Algal Systems Program has a goal to demonstrate an algal biofuel intermediate yield of 2,500 gallons per acre per year by 2018 and 5,000 gallons per acre per year by 2022. An additional objective is to reduce the total production costs of microalgae biofuels to $3/gasoline gallon equivalent by 2030, with or without co-products.
The Laboratory Environmental Algae Pond Simulator system mimics the frequently shifting water temperatures and lighting conditions that occur in outdoor ponds. (Courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
The DISCOVR project, currently in its first phase, utilizes PNNL’s Laboratory Environmental Algae Pond Simulator (LEAPS) mini-photobioreactors n an integrated screening platform for the rapid discovery of high-productivity strains for resilient, year-round outdoor cultivation via crop rotation. The system cultivates algae indoors in a controlled environment, while replicating the frequently shifting water temperatures and lighting conditions that occur in outdoor ponds. The LEAPS system is made up of rows of glass column photobioreactors that mimic small outdoor ponds, allowing researchers to grow different strains of algae simultaneously, while exposing each row to unique temperature and lighting conditions.
Researchers are currently cultivating 30 strains of algae, which they will later narrow down to the four most promising strains. The oil, protein, and carbohydrate content of the algae will be studied, as well as bacterial resistance and potential for creating valuable co-products. The team will then compare the strains grown in the photobioreactors to two well-studied algae strains, and the top-performing strains will be further tested in pursuit of the optimal algae strain for biofuel production.
