In the words of a former osculation-obsessed game-show host: “And the survey says . . .!”
Dr. Mark Edwards, Vice-President of Corporate Development and Marketing at Algae Biosciences Incorporated, is preparing to release the results of his annual Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) Algae Industry Survey this fall.
As per usual, this year’s survey polls hundreds of industry producers, scientists, technicians, suppliers, support professionals, and academics worldwide. Dr. Edwards is tentatively scheduled to release and discuss the most recent results during the fifth annual Algae Biomass Summit, which runs from Oct. 24 to 27 at Minneapolis, Minn.
“This survey is an industry barometer of sorts. It gives the industry some strategic direction,” says Dr. Edwards, an Arizona State University professor, award-winning author, and renowned “algae evangelist” who focuses on algae’s potential in freedom foods, agribusiness, and sustainable energy.
“The ABO’s director has used it multiple times to lobby Congress. It quantifies various topics. It prioritizes a lot of issues in the industry. It’s really a big deal.”
AlgaeBio, an Arizona biotechnology company, is positioning itself to take a leadership role in the global microalgae industry in the coming months. Topping AlgaeBio’s agenda, on a short-term basis, is the production of ultra-pure omega-3 fatty acid oils for international customers in the nutraceutical and food additive sectors.
AlgaeBio announced in mid-August a $5-million, first-phase expansion to its production facilities near Holbrook, Ariz., which will allow the company to reach large-scale commercial production levels by very early 2012.
The initial phase of expansion calls for the manufacture and incorporation of 1,500 of AlgaeBio’s proprietary bioreactors, as well as harvesting and support equipment, which will be housed in a new addition to the facility.
The ABO’s annual Algae Industry Survey quizzes respondents in the areas of input and production challenges, social and economic issues, and product potential. More than a third of respondents have more than five years’ experience in the industry.
This year’s survey has also added questions about new jobs created in the algae industry. “The ethanol industry has always been about jobs, but in the algae industry, we haven’t been on that platform, so to speak,” says Dr. Edwards. “We thought it was time to ask those questions and see what kind of answers we got.”
This year’s Algae Biomass Summit will bring together industry professionals from all over the world, including the biofuels, animal feeds, supplements and foods, bioplastics, fertilizers, carbon partitioning, genetic systems, and engineering sectors.
Thanks to AlgaeBio’s market-leading production capabilities, downstream opportunities include: pharmaceuticals, such as designer proteins, vaccines, enzymes, antibodies, and research agents; sustainable biofuels; macroalgae for human food; organic pigments that can replace synthetic dyes in food and cosmetics; organic compounds called carotenoids, which as potent antioxidants reduce cell damage and fight disease; and liquid feed for marine life.
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ABOUT ALGAE BIOSCIENCES INCORPORATED: AlgaeBio is an Arizona biotechnology company that researches, develops, and manufactures ultra-pure products from micro and macro algae such as nutraceuticals, food additives, and pharmaceuticals. With access to near-perfect algae growing conditions, exclusive aquaculture access to a pristine brine water supply, and advanced proprietary technology, AlgaeBio produces superior human and animal consumable products, as well as offering advanced algae-based products and technologies for distribution into the agribusiness, biofuel, and aquaculture markets. AlgaeBio owns and operates large-scale production facilities near Holbrook, Ariz., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Algae Biosciences Corporation.