Plants, algae and certain bacteria utilize photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and CO2 into oxygen and energy, which is the material basis for most biological activities on earth. However, their photosynthetic efficiency is low compared to theoretical values. Therefore, boosting this photosynthetic efficiency even a little above normal can translate...

Photosynthetic microbes are promising contributors to the bioeconomy. With light and CO2, they can create biomass, biofuels, green chemicals, food ingredients and more. Typically, CO2 is delivered by sparging; however, CO2 macrobubbles quickly rise to the surface and are lost to the atmosphere. This gas transfer inefficiency not only increases operational...

Phycocyanin is a bright-blue pigment-protein complex, found in phycobilisomes, and makes up a large fraction (up to 20-25%) of the dry weight of cyanobacterial cells. The global demand for phycocyanin is increasing due to a growing public preference for natural compositions in food coloring, cosmetics and other industry applications. However, given...

Large swaths of arid land are under severe, increasing anthropogenic stress, with degrading or already degraded soils. Regeneration of biocrusts, photosynthetic communities which act as the natural biological cover of arid soils and increase nutrients into them, has promise for dryland restoration and sustainability. However, unaided recovery of biocrust...

With increased demand for energy, particularly from inexpensive, renewable, and environmentally friendly sources, Hydrogen (H2) is an attractive target product, with over 60 million tons produced globally. Unfortunately, around 95% of hydrogen is produced from steam reformation of fossil fuels, contributing to rising atmospheric CO2. Reengineering fundamental...

With increased demand for energy, particularly from inexpensive, renewable, and environmentally friendly sources, Hydrogen (H2) is an attractive target product, with over 60 million tons produced globally. Unfortunately, around 95% of hydrogen is produced from steam reformation of fossil fuels, contributing to rising atmospheric CO2. Reengineering fundamental...

While photosynthetic microorganisms offer a promising route to generate sustainable transportation fuels and products using solar energy, boosting their photosynthetic efficiency above normal levels (<5%) will help ensure its economic viability. A major source of inefficiency is that photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) constitutes...

Two challenges facing the world today include the ongoing pollution of the environment with carbon dioxide and the increasing consumption of the world’s natural energy resources of fossil fuels. An elegant solution to these challenges would be to cultivate microorganisms such as algae that take and utilize carbon dioxide for their growth while...

In light of environmental concerns and the finite nature of petroleum-based sources, the production of biofuels and other valuable products from microalgae is very promising. Delivering concentrated CO2 is an essential step that enables microalgae cultivation to have high productivity and favorable economics. In order to achieve both benefits, the...

Petrochemical sources for industrial feedstocks and fuels is finite, thus a shift toward alternative and renewable sources continues to be a high priority in the US and around the world. Photosynthetic microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria, are one such potential source. These microorganisms have been extensively studied and different pathways genetically...