SBIR Phase I: Microalgae-based Biofuel Utilizing Zooplankton Lipid Assimilation

This SBIR Phase I project will substantiate the merits of using specific organisms to convert microalgae into biofuel. Specifically, it will utilize a naturally occurring and highly efficient organism, zooplankton, for the conversion. The project plans to measure the microalgae conversion efficiency of the organisms and test a bench scale model of an oil recovery system. The goal is to convert oil contained within the algae biomass with extractable zooplankton with more than 75% output. The broader/commercial impact of the proposed project will be to substantially improve the biofuel output capability and will provide a very important step toward energy independence from fossil fuels.