Transnational approaches to resolving biological bottlenecks in macroalgal biofuel production (SuBBSea)
Reference Number
BB/K020552/1
Title
Transnational approaches to resolving biological bottlenecks in macroalgal biofuel production (SuBBSea)
Status
Completed
Energy Categories
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of transport biofuels (incl. Production from wastes))
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of other biomass-derived fuels (incl. Production from wastes))
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of other biomass-derived fuels (incl. Production from wastes))
Research Types
Basic and strategic applied research
Science and Technology Fields
BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Biological Sciences)
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences)
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences)
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation
Not Cross-cutting
Principal Investigator
Dr J Bothwell
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Durham University
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Durham University
Award Type
Research Grant
Funding Source
BBSRC
Start Date
04 August 2014
End Date
03 August 2017
Duration
36 months
Total Grant Value
£841,968
Industrial Sectors
Transport Systems and Vehicles
Region
North East
Programme
Sustainable bioenergy and biofuels (SuBB)
Investigators
Principal Investigator
Dr J Bothwell, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University
Other Investigator
Dr J Adams, IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dr D Bryant, IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dr S Huws, IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dr L LeVay, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University
Prof C Maggs, Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast
Dr K Steele, School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University
Dr D Bryant, IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dr S Huws, IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dr L LeVay, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University
Prof C Maggs, Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast
Dr K Steele, School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University
Web Site
Objectives
As detailed in the Case for Support, SuBBSea will take a process view of the flow of biological material along seaweed biofuel generation pathways in the UK and India, developing: a) more productive seaweed lines for commercial and coastal management use, b) improved biocatalysts for seaweed biomass pre-processing and, c) improved biocatalysts for longer-chain biofuel generation. Accordingly, SuBBSea will be of particular benefit to the following groups:
I. Private sector - large companies (for Advanced Biofuels): The production of sustainable biofuels is obviously the subject of huge commercial investment and the green seaweeds are attracting increased interest as potential biofuel and biotechnology sources (e.g Statoil). Indian partners (ICT-CEB) already collaborate closely with IndianOil, and we will feed into this collaboration to identify synergies between bio- and thermo-chemical processing and conversion. Within the UK, partners at IBERS have strong links to the biorefinery and bioprocessing industry and further links with appropriate industrial stakeholders in the UK will be developed through the mid-term dissemination meeting in Belfast.
II. Private sector - SMEs and local enterprise (for Biotechology and low-grade biofuels): Although the green seaweeds grow abundantly in a diverse range of habitats and their mariculture as a human and animal food staple is common in Asia, their economic potential remains underexploited in UK waters. SuBBSea holds particular opportunities for SME involvement in improving low-grade, local bionergy generation (e.g. By improving pre-processing in AD) and the UK partners already have strong links with local mariculture and SMEs (e.g. B9, Deepdock Ltd, Green Biofuels Ireland, Irish Seaweeds) interested in scaling-up production plants for small-scale biofuel generation. Additionally, the green seaweeds are now attracting increased interest as potential biotechnology sources, with particular efforts being made to exploittheir biofouling and bioadhesive ability, so Themes 1 and 3 of SuBBSea will be of immediate interest to biotechnology companies interested in the economic potential of algal secondary metabolites.
III. Policy makers and advisors, such as the Environment Agency, and its devolved counterparts (SEPA, NIEA): Ecosystem managers will benefit from SuBBSea's improved understanding of the ways in which seaweed cultivation may be made biosecure and, by relieving the pressures on agricultural land use, can help food security. The green seaweeds contain a number of bloom-forming ('green tides') and invasive species (a potential issue with the large-scale cultivation of any animal or crop; see Implications document); measures that are used as important indicators of estuarine quality by the EU Water Framework Directive and biosecurity by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The factors which determine whether or not particular green seaweed species will invade or bloom are though t to include sudden increases in the levels of nitrate run-off from agricultural fertilisers and sewage plants, but remain poorly understood because we do not know the extent to which seaweed behaviour is dependent on specific genetic haplotypes. The elucidation of this behaviour (= SuBBSea Theme 1) would bolster the UK's commitment to evidence-based science and agriculture policy, helping to decide how large-scale seaweed cultivation farms should be located and managed relative to onshore agriculture and industrial activity.
I. Private sector - large companies (for Advanced Biofuels): The production of sustainable biofuels is obviously the subject of huge commercial investment and the green seaweeds are attracting increased interest as potential biofuel and biotechnology sources (e.g Statoil). Indian partners (ICT-CEB) already collaborate closely with IndianOil, and we will feed into this collaboration to identify synergies between bio- and thermo-chemical processing and conversion. Within the UK, partners at IBERS have strong links to the biorefinery and bioprocessing industry and further links with appropriate industrial stakeholders in the UK will be developed through the mid-term dissemination meeting in Belfast.
II. Private sector - SMEs and local enterprise (for Biotechology and low-grade biofuels): Although the green seaweeds grow abundantly in a diverse range of habitats and their mariculture as a human and animal food staple is common in Asia, their economic potential remains underexploited in UK waters. SuBBSea holds particular opportunities for SME involvement in improving low-grade, local bionergy generation (e.g. By improving pre-processing in AD) and the UK partners already have strong links with local mariculture and SMEs (e.g. B9, Deepdock Ltd, Green Biofuels Ireland, Irish Seaweeds) interested in scaling-up production plants for small-scale biofuel generation. Additionally, the green seaweeds are now attracting increased interest as potential biotechnology sources, with particular efforts being made to exploittheir biofouling and bioadhesive ability, so Themes 1 and 3 of SuBBSea will be of immediate interest to biotechnology companies interested in the economic potential of algal secondary metabolites.
III. Policy makers and advisors, such as the Environment Agency, and its devolved counterparts (SEPA, NIEA): Ecosystem managers will benefit from SuBBSea's improved understanding of the ways in which seaweed cultivation may be made biosecure and, by relieving the pressures on agricultural land use, can help food security. The green seaweeds contain a number of bloom-forming ('green tides') and invasive species (a potential issue with the large-scale cultivation of any animal or crop; see Implications document); measures that are used as important indicators of estuarine quality by the EU Water Framework Directive and biosecurity by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The factors which determine whether or not particular green seaweed species will invade or bloom are though t to include sudden increases in the levels of nitrate run-off from agricultural fertilisers and sewage plants, but remain poorly understood because we do not know the extent to which seaweed behaviour is dependent on specific genetic haplotypes. The elucidation of this behaviour (= SuBBSea Theme 1) would bolster the UK's commitment to evidence-based science and agriculture policy, helping to decide how large-scale seaweed cultivation farms should be located and managed relative to onshore agriculture and industrial activity.
Abstract
Seaweeds are strong candidates for sustainable 2nd generation biofuels. They can be cultivated at low cost, and grow more rapidly than terrestrial plants without competing for land or water resources. Additionally, as ecosystem engineers along both the UK and Indian coastlines, they provide a number of ecosystem services that can counter the effects of wave erosion and anthropogenic stress.
SuBBSea will address its overall ambition in three broad themes:
Theme 1. GWAS approaches to macroalgal strain improvement (UK: Belfast, Bangor; India: CSMCRI): Genetic modification of seaweeds for open-water cultivation is, at present, both unacceptable and impossible. Selective breeding of seaweeds, however, has never been tried and SuBBSea represents a first application of modern breeding techniques to macroalgae. Desirable traits (e.g. growth rates, polymer composition) will be scored and Genome-Wide Association Studies will correlate traits with RADseq markers, with novel crosses generating new lines that will be tested for optimal growth.
Theme 2. NGS-driven pre-processing enzyme identification (UK: IBERS; India: CEB): Natural processes of macroalgal biomass degradation (marine grazers, microbes) will be used to inform biorefinery pre-processing strategies for the separation and extraction of structural macroalgal components. Metagenomic and functional screens of marine microbes will identify seawater-tolerant enzymes that contribute to different stages of decomposition and drive nutrient flow in coastal areas.
Theme 3. Synthetic approaches to microbial platform construction (UK: Edinburgh, India: CEB): Microbial platforms will be developed to convert the full range of seaweed-derived carbohydrates into advanced (longer-chain) biofuels, transforming known and discovered polysaccharide lyases and oligomer transporters into seawater-tolerant microbes. Biorefinery principles will determine the balance between biofuel and high value product generation.
SuBBSea will address its overall ambition in three broad themes:
Theme 1. GWAS approaches to macroalgal strain improvement (UK: Belfast, Bangor; India: CSMCRI): Genetic modification of seaweeds for open-water cultivation is, at present, both unacceptable and impossible. Selective breeding of seaweeds, however, has never been tried and SuBBSea represents a first application of modern breeding techniques to macroalgae. Desirable traits (e.g. growth rates, polymer composition) will be scored and Genome-Wide Association Studies will correlate traits with RADseq markers, with novel crosses generating new lines that will be tested for optimal growth.
Theme 2. NGS-driven pre-processing enzyme identification (UK: IBERS; India: CEB): Natural processes of macroalgal biomass degradation (marine grazers, microbes) will be used to inform biorefinery pre-processing strategies for the separation and extraction of structural macroalgal components. Metagenomic and functional screens of marine microbes will identify seawater-tolerant enzymes that contribute to different stages of decomposition and drive nutrient flow in coastal areas.
Theme 3. Synthetic approaches to microbial platform construction (UK: Edinburgh, India: CEB): Microbial platforms will be developed to convert the full range of seaweed-derived carbohydrates into advanced (longer-chain) biofuels, transforming known and discovered polysaccharide lyases and oligomer transporters into seawater-tolerant microbes. Biorefinery principles will determine the balance between biofuel and high value product generation.
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Added to Database
15/12/14
