Optimization of Microalgae Harvesting, Pre-treatment, Oil Extraction, Transesterification and Fermentation Techniques for Production of Cost Effective and Environmentally Friendly Biofuels and Value Added Products: A Biorefinery Concept

占世界能源总需求87%的常规能源(煤炭、天然气、石油)正在迅速枯竭，能源成本不断上升。利用生物材料生产生物燃料可以满足能源需求的激增，并在加拿大的气候变化战略中发挥重要作用。为了减少化石燃料使用产生的温室气体(GHG)排放，鼓励生物燃料生产和新生物燃料技术的商业化，并为农业和农村社区提供新的市场，加拿大政府启动了生态能源生物燃料计划，承诺从2008年4月至2017年3月投资15亿美元，增加生物燃料(乙醇和生物柴油)的生产和使用。生物柴油是一种可再生和环境友好的生物燃料，由于现有技术效率低下，而且占生物柴油生产总成本70%-80%的基质供应(粮食作物)不可持续，因此需要进行研究和开发，以确定具有成本效益的生产方法。此外，根据联合国粮食及农业组织的报告，目前的生物柴油生产系统正在与粮食供应竞争，并提高了世界各地的粮食价格。到2050年，粮食需求将翻一番，而气候变化将导致农业生产率下降，限制粮食资源。因此，必须充分解决利用低成本替代生物材料和开发环境友好型生物柴油生产系统的问题。 我们的研究计划旨在调查藻类生物质转化为第三代生物燃料和附加值产品的情况。预期的产品是可再生的，也将与现有的石化产品直接兼容。该项目的长期目标是开发一种生物精炼战略，用于从微藻中生产生物柴油和高价值分子。这项工作包括：(A)选择高产微生物，(B)优化藻类生长和产油量，(C)选择/优化最有效和最具成本效益的藻类采集和预处理技术，以实现大规模运营，以及(D)开发/优化环境友好型提取、酯交换、发酵和分离技术。这项研究中采用的方法是基于我们之前从鱼类加工和动物提取废物中生产生物柴油和有价值的产品的工作，是我们在过去三年中开发藻类生物精炼战略的继续努力。预计这项工作将有助于加拿大的社会经济发展，提高生物柴油、农业和营养食品行业的经济效益，并加快碳封存。将在生物能源和生物技术领域培训高素质的人员(研究生和本科生)。

Conventional energy resources (coal, natural gas, oil), which account for 87% of the total world energy demand, are rapidly depleting and the cost of energy is increasing. Utilization of bio-materials for the production of biofuels can meet the surge in energy demand and play a major role in Canada’s climate change strategy. In an effort to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel use, encourage biofuel production and the commercialization of new biofuels technology and provide a new market for agricultural and rural communities, the Government of Canada launched an ecoENERGY Biofuels Program which is committed to increase the production and use of biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) by investing $1.5 billion from April 2008 to March 2017. Biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly biofuel that requires research and development for identifying cost-effective ways for production as the existing technology is inefficient and the substrate supply (food crops), which accounts for 70-80% of the total biodiesel production cost, is not sustainable. In addition, current biodiesel production systems are in competition with food supply and have raised food prices worldwide as reported by the Food and Agricultural Organization. Demand for food will double by 2050 while climate change will cause reduction in agricultural productivity and limit food resources. Thus, utilization of low cost alternative biomaterials and development of environmentally friendly biodiesel production systems must be adequately addressed. Our research program aims at investigating the conversion of algal biomass into a 3rd generation of biofuels and value added products. The anticipated products are renewable and will also be directly compatible with existing petrochemicals. The long term objective of this project is to develop a biorefinery strategy for the production of biodiesel and high value molecules from microalgae. The work consists of: (a) selecting high oil yielding organisms, (b) optimizing algae growth and oil yield, (c) selecting/optimizing most efficient and cost effective algae harvesting and pretreatment techniques for large scale operation and (d) developing/optimizing environmentally friendly extraction, transesterification, fermentation and separation techniques. The approach utilized in this research is based on our previous work on production of biodiesel and valuable products from fish processing and animal rendering wastes and is a continuation of our effort on the development of an algae biorefinery strategy over the last three years. The work is expected to contribute to the socio-economic development of Canada, enhance the economics of biodiesel, agriculture and nutraceutical industries and accelerate carbon sequestration. Highly qualified personnel (graduate and undergraduate students) will be trained in the fields of bioenergy and biotechnology.