John,
More products are being produced via algae as our ability to
practically culture these organisms on a mass scale improves. There
are many examples of current 'real value' products from algae
(cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, pigments, aquacultural
feeds, etc). These high value products are costly only because the
current cost of cultivation is high. However, not one company
producing algal products today is using waste nutrients for their
fertilizer source. Further, there is certainly plenty of waste CO2
for the algae to fix. Ecosystem services like water remediation and
'CO2 scrubbing' will reduce the cost of cultivation and allow for more
diverse (petroleum replacements) and low-cost commodities (diesel) to
be produced by algae.
Anyway, the commercial is just green PR for the biggest company of our
era....and I don't own a TV.
-Scott
On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 1:10 PM, John Hurford <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Have you seen the Exxon Mobil commercial where the scientist talks about
> researching algae for bio-fuels for thirty five years? Haven't come up with
> anything of real value yet.
>
> On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 1:01 PM, Scott Edmundson <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>>
>> Howdy BESTers,
>>
>> Here is an interesting article that describes the life of an algal
>> bioprospector, or as we like to call ourselves phycoprospectors.
>>
>>
>> http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-algae-holds-best-energy-potential-012011.aspx
>>
>> We at the BEST lab have prospected the North Florida region for
>> promising algae and have found several species that show promising
>> characteristics of fast growth and oil production. In addition, many
>> species were found growing in eutrophied habitats (i.e. sewage
>> treatment plants, creeks impacted by farm runoff, landfill leachate,
>> etc.) These algae have a two-fold role as bio-remediators and
>> bio-based product producers.
>>
>> Looks like the National Renewable Energy Lab and UF's BioEnergy and
>> Sustainable Technologies Lab are on the same page.
>>
>> -Cheers,
>> Scott J. Edmundson
>
>
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