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...

Background Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods from atmospheric air, including direct air capture (DAC), is essential to limit the spread of global warming. However, current DAC approaches based on thermal and pressure swings are very energy intensive. Moisture-driven DAC using strong-base anion exchange resins (AER) reversibly binds CO2 from ambient...

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...

Two challenges facing the world today include the ongoing pollution of the environment with carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming and the increasing consumption of the world’s natural energy resources of fossil fuels. A problematic cycle exists where the increase in fossil fuel consumption correlates with an increase in carbon dioxide...

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...

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...

Laurate and methyl laurate are valuable compounds that are used in a wide range of sectors including personal care, food, fuel, adhesives, lubricants, paints and more. Methyl laurate is primarily derived from coconut and palm kernel oil; however, plantations that supply this oil do so at the cost of deforestation and animal habitat destruction as well...

The biopolymer market has been expanding rapidly, but many biopolymer technologies rely on petroleum or conventionally derived agricultural feedstocks. In the coming decades, materials made from renewable sources are expected to gradually replace non-renewable petrochemical-based industrial materials, including polymers. The production of plastics from...