Algae are considered by many in the science community to be a promising and efficient alternative fuel source due to their abundant availability domestically and adaptability to various growing conditions, said Teira Liby, USU Energy Lab Research Technician.
“The fundamentals behind algae make it one of the most photosynthetically productive plants on earth,” Muhs said. “If you’re going to try and produce fuel from biological systems, algae are the most efficient option.”
Michael Kennedy, special assistant to the USU president for federal and state relations, said the research teams at the Energy Lab have received numerous grants and contracts to fund their research, some of which have come from Congress through the efforts of Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett, who is the ranking minority member on the Senate subcommittee on energy and water development.
“Much of the money we’ve received has been directed to us with Senator Bennett’s help. Without him, we wouldn’t have been able to get as far as we have,” Kennedy said. The Department of Defense has also helped to finance researchers from the USU Energy Lab through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of a large-group research project dedicated to the study of media optimization in algae growth led by General Atomics in San Diego, Liby said. Liby works on the project and grows algae in various mediums to determine which leads to optimum algae growth and the highest lipid content, which ultimately leads to more oil output.
“I do this work because I’d like to save the environment and create fuel that’s healthier for the environment,” Liby said. “Biofuel from algae is better for the country because it comes from an internal source and doesn’t have to be imported from other nations.”
Algae research at the lab also receives grants from Utah Science Technology and Research intiative (USTAR). Dan Dye, a Ph.D. candidate, uses USTAR funds in his research on advanced reactor development and algal kinetics. He said he is trying to find a way to genetically alter algae to absorb more sunlight and has built a lighting system to stimulate outdoor conditions. He harvests sunlight from the roof of the lab and filters it inside through special equipment.
Dye said he also receives DARPA funding and is working as part of a larger project centered at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He said he feels lucky to be part of such important research.
“The biggest payoff has been getting a great project for my doctoral dissertation,” Dye said. “It’s also been great to contribute to my field and develop something that someone will find useful one day and to help the university to make a significant contribution to the development of biodiesel fuel.”
The use of USTAR funds for projects like this is exactly what the Utah Legislature planned for when it created the initiative. Its goal was to encourage the state’s research universities – University of Utah and Utah State University – to develop research expertise and qualified research teams with the hope that research companies would rise from the program and bring recognition and economic growth to the state, Kennedy said.
Muhs said the congressionally directed funds also had a similar purpose. The USU Energy Lab received approximately $1.3 million in congressionally directed funds in 2009 that are intended to help the university build new capabilities and research infrastructure in developing areas of interest. The money has helped the lab to buy new equipment and pay research technicians and graduate students for their research.
Another algae research project at the Energy Lab has had a significant impact on local water supply. The team has been harvesting the algae growing in the Logan lagoons where local waste water runoff collects, Kennedy said. The algae growing there provide an additional benefit because they feed on the phosphorous and nitrogen that collects in the lagoon at high levels due to fertilizers from local farming communities, Muhs said. The project, led by Ron Sims, head of the biological and irrigation engineering department, is trying to determine ways to grow algae in this lagoon to help remove these elements before the water is released into the reservoir. Kennedy said the city were to build a plant to remove the phosphorous from the water, it could cost anywhere from $100-$200 million. Kennedy said using algae instead to remove these elements provides a tremendous economic benefit.
Several other projects involving algae biofuel development are currently underway at the USU Energy Lab and possibly more will begin in the future. These research projects that continue to bring additional funding and recognition to the university, Kennedy said.
– kayla.woodring@aggiemail.usu.edu