SEP Collaborative: Alkaliphilic microalgae-based sustainable & scalable processes for renewable fuels and products

SEP合作：基于嗜碱微藻的可持续发展

• 批准号: 1230710
• 负责人: Gregory Characklis
• 金额: $ 17万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1230710&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SEP; Collaborative; Alkaliphilic; microalgae; based

The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Sridhar Viamajala and co-workers at the University of Toldeo, Prof. Robin Gerlach and co-workers at Montana State University, and Prof. Gregory Characklis of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This project will focus on high lipid-producing native alkaliphilic algae which are less susceptible to detrimental contamination (due to their extreme growth environment) and able to accumulate large amounts of lipid. In addition, the project will develop and test low-energy options for cell harvesting as well as for fuel and high value product generation. Through integration of unique and robust advances in algal culture stability and productivity as well as research targeted on the critical processes of algae harvesting and conversion of biochemicals, scalable, environmentally and economically acceptable processes to produce renewable fuels and chemicals will be developed. The results of this project will be of interest to industry, local communities, regulators, and academia. Specific outreach efforts will be directed towards each of these primary stakeholders through: (1) dissemination of research outcomes to local community members and industry stakeholders at conferences, trade meetings and by local community and legislator engagement; (2) engagement of underrepresented Native American students from Montana high schools and tribal colleges in summer research activities as well as undergraduate researchers in the PIs' laboratories; (3) education and training at the K-12 level through training of high school teachers; (4) development of an interdisciplinary distance-learning course sequence on "Sustainable Biofuels" that will cover broad topics on the fundamental biology, chemistry, engineering and sustainability aspects of biofuel production; (5) generation of information useful in making informed judgments regarding tradeoffs between cost and environmental impact using the results of the life-cycle analyses.This sustainable energy pathway minimizes energy and materials requirements through use of low-energy chemical and biological processes coupled with nutrient and water recycle. The global warming potential (GWP) of such biorefineries would be significantly lowered through the use of energy-efficient cultivation, harvesting and conversion methods as well as by minimizing external demands for nutrients and water. Overall, these solutions to the challenge of economic and sustainable energy from algae will be transformative through the development of novel scientific and technical advances, balanced with environmental, economic and societal merits. These algal farms will not compete with arable lands, food production, or use high quality water.

NSF可持续能源途径（SEP）计划，在NSF科学，工程和教育可持续性（SEES）倡议的保护伞下，将支持Sridhar Viamajala教授和同事在托尔迪奥大学，Robin盖拉赫教授和同事在蒙大拿州立大学，和教授格雷戈里Characklis的研究计划北卡罗来纳州大学在查佩尔山。该项目将重点关注高脂质生产的天然嗜碱藻类，这些藻类不太容易受到有害污染（由于其极端的生长环境），并且能够积累大量脂质。此外，该项目还将开发和测试用于电池收集以及燃料和高价值产品生产的低能耗选项。通过整合藻类培养稳定性和生产力的独特和强大的进步，以及针对藻类收获和生物化学品转化的关键过程的研究，将开发可扩展的，环境和经济上可接受的生产可再生燃料和化学品的工艺。该项目的结果将引起行业、当地社区、监管机构和学术界的兴趣。具体的外联工作将通过以下方式针对每一个主要利益攸关方：（1）在各种会议、贸易会议上以及通过当地社区和立法者的参与，向当地社区成员和行业利益攸关方传播研究成果;（二）来自蒙大拿州高中和部落学院的代表性不足的美国土著学生参与夏季研究活动，以及PI的本科研究人员（3）通过培训高中教师，开展K-12教育和培训;（4）开发关于“可持续生物燃料”的跨学科远程学习课程序列，涵盖生物燃料生产的基础生物学、化学、工程学和可持续性方面的广泛专题;（5）利用生命周期分析的结果，生成有用的信息，以便就成本和环境影响之间的权衡做出明智的判断。这种可持续能源途径通过使用低成本的能源化学和生物过程加上养分和水循环。通过使用节能的种植、收获和转化方法，以及最大限度地减少对营养物和水的外部需求，这类生物精炼厂的全球升温潜能值将大大降低。 总的来说，通过发展新的科学和技术进步，这些应对藻类经济和可持续能源挑战的解决方案将具有变革性，并与环境，经济和社会价值保持平衡。 这些藻类养殖场不会与耕地、粮食生产或使用高质量的水竞争。