algae Archives – The Green Optimistic

University of Michigan Researchers Get $2 million Grant for Developing Algae-Based Biodiesel

Ally Munda — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:07:05 +0000

A team of researchers from the University of Michigan have been granted $2 million by the US Energy department as funding for their research into algae-based biofuel for diesel engines. The team is one of the few in the world working to solve the problem from ‘end-to-end’. The Department of Energy is keen on finding […]

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New Study Finds Algae That Melt Arctic Ice

Courtney Lepping — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 17:24:26 +0000

Not many have heard of the albedo effect, where microorganisms are theorized to be melting the Arctic. This is displayed by pink snow. The researcher Stefanie Lutz published a study about the decline of albedo, or reflection of sunlight on the earth’s surface, in snow and ice caused by pink algae. 40 samples from 21 […]

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Green Overpass Absorbs Traffic Emissions, Turns Them Into Biomass

Mila Luleva — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:12:28 +0000

No city official can now say that there is not enough space for biomass growth in the urban environment. A team of inventors demonstrated an algal farm greening up a highway overpass in Switzerland. Made of transparent pipes, the system is designed to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from the traffic below. During the annual Villes et […]

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Ocean Life Coping with Climate Change through Evolution

Ari Luis — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:43:34 +0000

Climate change is again threatening thousands of living species to extinction, as it has done to the dinosaurs during the first ice age. Researchers from Cornell University recently published a study that says that half of the bird species in North America face extinction due to loss of habitat caused by aberrant changes in the […]

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Carbon Dioxide From Emissions to Feed Norwegian Salmon

Mila Luleva — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 09:37:17 +0000

After numerous discussions, the scientific world has reached a consensus on at least one of the numerous issues related to climate change. This is the fact that carbon capture and storage facilities and techniques are the most reasonable and realistic solution to bringing down the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now that (almost) all […]

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FermentAlg: Algae-Powered Lamp That Provides Light and Absorbs Carbon Dioxide

Mila Luleva — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:27:58 +0000

While urban planners and city officials are debating over what is better- planting trees alongside roads to absorb carbon dioxide or making more space for light installations to avoid accidents at night, a biochemist from the clean tech firm FermentAlg has designed a smart green way to tackle both problems at the same time. A […]

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An Algae Bioreactor DIY Tutorial

Mila Luleva — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:36:34 +0000

The production of biofuels from an algae bioreactor is a hot topic, if you’re interested in biofuels, alternative energy and you’re a green DIYer. As we have already mentioned in earlier articles on the topic, government officials in the U.S. are already funding various projects to encourage scientists and companies to implement this technology. Here we […]

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Commercially-Viable Renewable Algae Biofuel Developed by Teenager

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 03:08:43 +0000

Since 1998, Intel has been a sponsor of the 70 year old Science Talent Search, a competitive science fair that draws the best and brightest teenagers to compete for a top prize of $100,000. This year Sara Volz, a 17 year old from Colorado Springs, claimed the prize after winning with her efficient algae-based biofuel […]

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Algae Producing Fuel Through Photosynthesis With the Help of Engineering

Mila Luleva — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:12:44 +0000

New species of blue-green algae was engineered by chemists at University of California, Davis. The aim of the team, led by assistant professor Shota Atsumi, was to find a replacement of petroleum and natural gas to produce chemical feedstock. The findings were published in the latest Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences. The unique study looked […]

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Photobioreactor Will Provide Cheap and Efficient Energy Storage

Mila Luleva — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:39:08 +0000

Algae-based biofuel research was granted $910,000 to develop a bioreactor that will deliver light and collect fuel. The winning team from Cornell University consists of David Erickson, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Largus Angenent, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering. The generous sponsors are the US Department of Energy (DOE), who […]

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Algae into Biocrude – The Quick Method

Benji Jerew — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Crude oil reserves around the world were formed millions of years ago as ancient microorganisms, such as algae and plankton, died and sank to the sea floor. Under extreme heat and compression due to sedimentary rock formation, the ancient biomass slowly decomposed anaerobically, resulting in deposits of crude petroleum buried in the strata. Biofuels researchers […]

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Biological Switch Helps Optimize Algae Biofuel Production

Maria Reyes — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:02:55 +0000

Researchers have discovered a biological switch in blue-green algae that reacts to light, thereby altering the movement of electrons inside the cell. The new findings could help optimize biofuel production by algae. Algae are prime targets for biofuel production. They are non-feedstock and will not compete with arable land for their growth and production. They […]

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Algae Screen: A New Technology That Kills The Algae's Enemies Without Chemicals Unveiled Today

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:02:02 +0000

Algae Screen, a new technology that can help oil algae growth much easier by killing microscopic predators, without the use of chemicals, has been announced today by Origin Oil. The company's press release says that their technology uses electromagnetic pulses to kill the microscopic invaders.

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Algae Biofuel Produces 4 Times More CO2 Than Regular Diesel, Scientist Reveals

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:47:55 +0000

I don't know why, but each time a biofuel solution rises up from the masses of alternative energy sources, later there are news saying biofuel is still more polluting than fossil fuel. Now it's time for algae biofuels to pass through the test of actual "alga-to-wheel" pollution.

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Astounding Discovery: Marine Algae Using Quantum Mechanics Principles for Light Harvesting

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:34:42 +0000

Professor Greg Scholes, the lead author of the study published recently in Nature, says: "There's been a lot of excitement and speculation that nature may be using quantum mechanical practices. Our latest experiments show that normally functioning biological systems have the capacity to use quantum mechanics in order to optimize a process as essential to their survival as photosynthesis."

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Algae Biofuel Production Emits More CO2 Than Algae Absorb, Says Study

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:55:09 +0000

Biofuels do their job as a carbon-saver only if they swallow more carbon than they emit. Choosing biofuels with a positive carbon output looks to me like wasted money.

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Glycerin Can Finally Be Used in The Biofuel Production Process

Cristi — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:54:22 +0000

Glycerin is the most important component in many of the products we use, from soap to cosmetics, foods and pharmaceuticals. We even use it for biofuel production, algae growth and fuel cells. But it seems that in this moment glycerin really represents an issue as the large quantity developed by biofuel refineries cannot be assimilated by the market. The excess glycerin is incinerated on the market or illegally disposed.

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NASA is Producing Biofuel from Algae Grown in Sewages

Cristi — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:41:12 +0000

NASA has recently been very interested not only in space exploration but as well in the rising energy costs and climate change. NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, has developed a system of growing algae in waste-water for the biofuel production.

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T300: New Catalyst Produces More Cost-Competitive and Sustainable Biofuels

Mike Sandru — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:33:54 +0000

Researchers at Iowa State University and DOE's Ames National Laboratory, in partnership with biofuel specialist Catilin, Inc have developed a new technology that uses tiny nanoparticles to absorb free fatty acids from living microalgae.

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Ocean-Based Algae Production System Could Revolutionize the Biofuel Industry

Cristi — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:17:04 +0000

Two Kansas State University Engineers have designed a new algae production system that could reduce the cost of biodiesel and help the U.S. Government to change from fossil fuel dependency to a renewable power source.

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Cereplast's Algae-Based Bioplastics Reduce Petroleum Use by 50%

Cristi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:21:09 +0000

Cereplast has already developed some new technologies before, being able to make plastic from renewable materials such as corn starch, tapioca, wheat and potatoes.

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Scientists Developing Artificial Leaves to Produce Energy

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:11:49 +0000

Mimicking nature has been man's dream since he tried inventing the airplane, and even earlier. Mimicking a leaf for obtaining energy from the Sun has been even more challenging than learning to fly, though, until now, nobody succeeded imitating the evolution or creation or whatever our nature is made of.

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Complex Algae-Powered Energy System Made by a 15-Year Old

Cristi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:21:36 +0000

This years scholarship prize of $20,000 of Invent Your World Challenge went to a 15 year old fellow from Texas called Javier FernÃƒÆ’¡ndez-Han, who proved us all that renewable energy is the way we should direct our creativity upon.

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Generating Biofuel With Bioreactor Made of Recycled Bottles

Cristi — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:17:47 +0000

Michael Fisher has developed a bioreactor using algae to produce oil. What is very interesting about his invention is the bioreactor itself, which is made out of recycled bottles.

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Algenol Mexico Factory to Produce Ethanol from Algae by 2009

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:58:25 +0000

Algenol CEO Paul Woods said Thursday that the ethanol produced at the farm will cost $1 less than today's gasoline, that is about $3/gallon.

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Hydrogen From Water – 3 Production Methods

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:26:54 +0000

Getting hydrogen from water is one of today’s hottest and fastest-evolving areas in the renewable energy world. The basic methods for hydrogen production, though, have remained the same at their core, and everything is now innovated around the same old principles. 1. Electrolysis Electrolysis is the technical name for using electricity to split water into its constituent elements, […]

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