foto: NASA John Glenn Research Center.
In a move away from dependence on fossil fuels, Israeli company Seambiotic and NASA's John Glenn Research Center will jointly research the production of microalgae, which can be used a feedstock for bio-fuel.
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Seambiotic USA, a subsidiary of the Israeli company, entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA in late March to combine the agency's expertise in computing models with the Israelis' knowledge of a cost-effective method for microalgae cultivation, according to Noam Menczel, director of investor relations and business development at Seambiotic.
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"This is a major achievement," he told The Jerusalem Post Monday.
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"Not many companies are recognized by NASA as a technology leader."
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Ashkelon-based Seambiotic, founded in 2003, was the first company to use flue gas from coal-burning power stations as a source for carbon dioxide to cultivate microalgae.
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The nearby Israel Electric Corporation in Ashkelon serves as the source for carbon dioxide and water, which the company uses to cool its turbine.
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Seambiotic uses these waste products as a raw material to cultivate the microalgae, making it the cheapest method to harvest the organism.
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The research was previously conducted on a pilot level, but is now transitioning to a large, industrial size.
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"The whole idea is to make the process cheap," Menczel said.
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"NASA will develop theoretical models and we will adapt them on the field [in Ashkelon] and make it workable."
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Other methods for creating bio-fuel use corn and sugar as the main substances, which are agriculture products that compete at food prices.
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However, algae does not face these same price fluctuations, making it a more cost-efficient choice.
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As a result of the combined technology from the two groups, Menczel said, a more efficient way for the production of bio-fuel and food additives through microalgae could be found.
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NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the governmental agency's 10 field centers, focused on conducting basic-level research.
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The center works to develop technology and advance scientific research
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Sthefanie Rubenstein
jpost.com
