Algae are present in every biome of the planet, ranging from species found in the coldest regions of Antarctica to the hottest deserts. This remarkable biodiversity means that algae represent a rich resource: as expression hosts, sources of new enzymes or metabolic pathways, and for their biofuel potential. As molecular tools and cultivation methods advance, microalgae are beginning to show promise for industrial biotechnology and biorefining.

This event seeks to present research into new applications for microalgae.

This one-day symposium on Thursday, March 19, 2015, from 10am until 6pm, will consist of three parts:

1) Algal biotechnology research in the UK

PHYCONET, a BBSRC funded Network in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBB) will showcase UK-based research to unlock the industrial biotechnology potential of microalgae for production of high value products.

2) Algae in Northwest Europe: Results from the Energetic Algae project

EnAlgae is an INTERREG-funded program, with the aim of investigating algal bioenergy pathways. In this session, researchers from the project will present work on algal cultivation that makes use of industrial symbiosis and nutrient recycling.

3) Exploring and exploiting diversity in polar algae

This session, led by the British Antarctic Survey, will showcase the metabolic and genetic variation of microalgae inhabiting some of the most hostile environments on earth, and how this might contribute to biotechnology in future.

There will be a poster session after the conference, enabling doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers to present a poster to showcase their work. A prize will be awarded to the best poster.

Please send your poster abstracts (100 words) by 28 February to info@cambplants.group.cam.ac.uk

In addition, there will be the time to engage in a tour of the EnAlgae photobioreactor in the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. This pilot facility has grown out of a long-standing collaboration between InCrops at the University of East Anglia and the University of Cambridge, supported by Cambridge Water.

The EnAlgae project is led by Swansea University and funded by the European Union under the INTERREG IVB North West Europe programme. EnAlgae unites experts and observers from 7 EU member states to determine the potential benefits of algae as a future sustainable energy source.

You can find out more about the event here. If you are interested in coming along to the event please register with us at Evenbrite.  

Anyone wishing to learn more about the EnAlgae project can visit www.enalgae.eu.