SEES Fellows: Development of a Novel Algal Harvesting and Dewatering Method for the Economically Feasible Production of Biofuels from Microalgae Growing on Industrial Emissions

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In this Award from the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES Fellows Program) Dr. Jennifer Stewart from the University of Delaware will study the impact of changes in the environment upon the risks for emerging infectious diseases, in particular zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. This award has support from: the Directorate for Biological Sciences, the Directorate for Engineering, and the Office of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).Dr. Stewart will study the biological mechanisms that drive the nitric-oxide (NO) induced flocculation of the photosynthetic algae Heterosigma akashiwo and she will work with students at Delaware Technical and Community College to develop a pilot-scale algal harvesting and dewatering system for production of biomass for production of photosynthetic fuels. Dr. Stewart will study the cellular processes and products important to downstream biofuel production will be examined using a multidisciplinary "whole cell" approach that incorporates physiological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. This approach will include a comparative transcriptome analysis to identify genes and gene pathways involved in flocculation, and define the optimal conditions for flocculation and harvesting of high quality biomass.The aim of studies like this is to develop alternative (renewable) sources of high quality liquid fuels that can be easily incorporated into existing infrastructure. Algal biofuels show some promise, but production of algal biofuels are not yet economically viable on a commercial scale. The flocculation and dewatering methods that Dr. Stewart is studying could help to reduce the price of separation and removal of water in the processing of algal biofuels.Dr. Stewart will be working with collaborators Kathryn Coyne of the University of Delaware and Doug Hicks, Department of Chemical Engineering Technology at Delaware Technical and Community College. Dr. Stewart will also be building an exhibit to include in "Coast Day," a public outreach event at the University of Delaware.This project is supported under the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES Fellows) program, with the goal of helping to enable discoveries needed to inform actions that lead to environmental, energy and societal sustainability while creating the necessary workforce to address these challenges. With SEES Fellows support, this project will enable a promising early career researcher to establish themselves in an independent research career related to sustainability.