SBIR Phase I: Increasing Productivity of Microalgae for Biodiesel.

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project makes use of expertise derived from the intersection of molecular biology and evolutionary biology to identify genes that control lipid (i.e., oil) accumulation in microalgae. The genes will be validated for their role in controlling lipid accumulation and will then be used to produce custom strains of algae that are highly productive. The biggest limitation to commercial use of microalgae to produce biodiesel is productivity: lipid accumulation needs to be improved. Successful identification of genes that increase lipid production will be followed in Phase II by use of these genes to develop improved microalgae strains for sale to commercial partners. The broader impacts of this research are both commercially and for American society at large. A major problem of the 21st century will be to produce sufficient environmentally benign fuel for the U.S. population. Dependence on finite, non-renewable petroleum for transportation fuels is at the heart of many of the challenges we are now facing, including soaring energy costs, unpredictable foreign oil markets with resultant national security threats, and environmental deterioration. World energy demands will only be met with a diversity of energy products. Microalgae can produce far greater amounts of lipids per acre than other lipid sources. The biggest current limitation to commercial use of microalgae to produce biodiesel is productivity: lipid accumulation needs to be improved, which is the goal of this project.