Biorefineries aim to shift the material basis of our economy from petroleum to biomass to reduce fossil carbon output. Developing multiple streams of valuable products is key to making biorefineries economically viable. One approach is the use of algae, known to express a variety of valuable compounds. This project aims to identify specific temperature regimes and/or nutrient stressors that may lead to increased production of high-value compounds and changes in RNA profiles that can ultimately act as performance predictors. From a wider, ecosystem-scale viewpoint, the team’s data will generate testable hypotheses for how algae acclimate to rising temperatures, algal blooms and eutrophication. This approach could ultimately provide strategies for waterway restoration.
Participants
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Karla M Neugebauer
R. Selden Rose Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Professor of Cell Biology
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Hanno Erythropel
Research Scientist for the Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale
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Paul Anastas
Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment
