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| | University of Maryland | Ashwnai K. Gupta | Distinguished University Professor |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| Over 45 years of experience in combustion, fuels, energy, and power, Distributed combustion, High temperature air combustion, Gas Turbines,
Biofuels, pyrolysis, Gasification and Combustion, Waste to clean energy conversion and value added products,
0.1 an d1-liter high pressure reactors & controller (350 bars, 300 C), GC/MS, FTIR, TGA/DSC, SEM, High speed camera, Phase Doppler Particle Size Analyzer (PDPA), Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), Laser Velocimeter, Chemiluminescence diagnostics for short lived species,, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Sound meters, Online data acquisition and data analysis |
| MD |
| | Princeton University | Ryan Kingsbury | |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| We seek to accelerate development of electrochemical technologies that address environmental challenges related to climate change, water scarcity, and food security.
Our signature research approach integrates experiments, simulations, and software to advance fundamental understanding of ion transport phenomena in engineered, ion-selective materials such as membranes and sorbents. |
| NJ |
| | Applied Inquiry | James Larkin | |
Individual
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Bioenergy
| Willing to partner with open ocean monitoring partners planning to situate macro algal experiments within the Northern California Upwelling. Can provide flexible on-site supervision, coordination and/or expedition activities from San Francisco to south tip of Monterey Bay. Located in Half Moon Bay California, will engage as a self-employed contractor functioning as a team member under the direction of the prime contractor or principal investigator.
Willing to participate in the writing of relevant sections of the RFI response and SOW. Experience includes fulfilling 5 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, subcontract research support for a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant. Subsequently won and successfully executed four Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants.
To be efficient with my time I am looking for partners that will not only investigate the effect of climate change on California’s kelp forests but will seek to understand the importance of the interplay between kelp, red sea urchins and Sea Star Wasting Syndrome.
For the ambitious goals of this research project to become a possibility the kelp forest ecosystem must not shift into an urchin barren state which could likely last for decades. The kelp forests will need be careful monitoring and management in order to maintain a healthy and sustainable balance between these keystone species. This research project has the potential to meet its primary goals and still be an important contribution to long term kelp forest preservation. |
| CA |
| | SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory | Xueli Sherry Zheng | |
Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC)
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Other Energy Technologies
| Rare Earth Element Extraction;
Batteries development;
Battery materials recycling and Li extraction from brines;
Seawater mining;
Precision mining. |
| CA |
| | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Ben Twining | |
Non-Profit
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Other Energy Technologies
| I am a metal biogeochemist with expertise in studying metal uptake by microalgae and macroalgae in the ocean. I have experience measuring metal uptake in a range of ocean organisms, as well as studying metal localization with stable metal, radioisotope, and x-ray fluorescence approaches. I am involved in a number of USDA and privately-funded projects to study element uptake and composition by wild and aquaculture-raised seaweeds. |
| ME |
| | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD | Jennifer E. Smith | |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| Seaweed expert with knowledge in biology, ecology, physiology, taxonomy of CA seaweed species.
Interested in exploring the potential of using seaweed for bioremediation in polluted waterways and subsequently using that biomass for recycling of critical rare earth elements among other things.
The Smith lab has the capacity to perform controlled experiments in the laboratory as well as conduct field assessments across a range of water bodies to determine the capacity of different species of seaweeds to take up and store REE's across space and over time. |
| CA |
| | University of Nevada, Reno | Ehsan Vahidi | |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| Primary expertise: Critical minerals extraction, Life Cycle Assessment, Separation sciences, Phytomining and phytoremediation
I have five active projects with critical mineral mining companies for sustainability assessment of their processes. I also have an active phytoremediation project sponsored by the DoE. |
| NV |
| | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Colin Singer Kruse | |
Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC)
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Bioenergy
| The Los Alamos National Laboratory has extensive algal cultivation experience and strong expertise in molecular characterization of algae. From genome assembly to transcriptomic, proteomic, or metabolomic studies, we have the capabilities required to assess algae for elemental and molecular compositions and would be happy to leverage those resources as an asset to any proposed research projects. |
| NM |
| | SRI International | Anne-Marie Dowgiallo | |
Non-Profit
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Other Energy Technologies
| I am a Senior Research Scientist at SRI International, a non-profit research and development organization headquartered in Menlo Park, CA. My research interests include developing novel chemical and biological sensing tools, nanoparticle synthesis, and integrated photonics.
SRI has a unique peptide-screening platform called FAST (Fiber-optic Scanning Array Technology) that can enable rapid discovery of peptide sequences for vaccine development and receptors for novel sensing platforms. REE-specific peptides have been discovered using the FAST system.
SRI also has expertise with growing microalgae and extracting nutrients using novel chemical engineering methods. SRI in interested in leveraging these two areas of expertise for critical mineral extraction from a wide range of matrices, including macroalgae. |
| CA |
| | University of Utah | Luther McDonald | |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| I'm an analytical chemist by training with experience in nuclear fuel processing. I'm interested in developing extraction and purification technologies for the REE's from the macroalgal. I would like to partner with a marine biologist, biochemist, etc. who has expertise in working with the macroalgal.
REE Chemistry
Solvent Extraction
Chromatography
Actinide Fuel Manufacturing
Uranium Mining
Microscopy
X-Ray Diffraction |
| UT |
| | Palo Alto Research Center | Aditya Sangli | |
Large Business
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Other Energy Technologies
| We have developed a novel Spray Algal Lysis and Dewatering (SALAD) technology as a zero chemical input process for algal lysis. SALAD is a species agnostic and mechanical preprocessing step which reduces harvesting and extraction (H&E) energy consumption from algae by at least 40% compared to state of art H&E processes. We are interested in partnering with macroalgae bioengineers to apply SALAD technology on bioengineered algae and develop critical mineral separation processes from lysed biomass. We are also a subcontractor on the Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource (EMBER) program funded by DARPA to develop a scalable bio-based separation and purification strategy for REEs. In this contract we are creating biosorbents with bioengineered bacteria for specific binding of REE.
We have facilities for rapid prototyping, mechanical design and fabrication, and surface preparation for our novel lysing technology. We also have laboratories equipped for chemical synthesis; functional materials preparation for downstream separation; material characterization ranging from mechanical, optical, surface, and morphological. We also maintain a microbiology laboratory with a biosafety hood for doing experiments with microbial cultures and sterile processes. |
| CA |
| | North Carolina State University | Colleen Doherty | |
Academic
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Bioenergy
| Through DARPA-funded efforts, our team has been working on phytomining with land and aquatic plants for the past four years. We have combined expertise in plant biochemistry and optical engineering.
Through these projects, the engineering team (led by Michael Kudenov) has developed mechanisms for real-time, quantitative, non-destructive detection of REE-uptake in living plants. We have also established a high-throughput method for rapid screening of REE-uptake from sampled plant tissue. Finally, we have spatial-resolution of REE uptake within plant tissues and are working toward sub-cellular resolution.
The biochemistry team has identified plant-specific REE-binding proteins, detailed characterization of REE-repsonses in land and aquatic plants, andinsights into uptake limitations, REE-transport, REE-uptake mechanisms, and REE-storage mechanisms in the plants. |
| NC |
| | Ginkgo Bioworks | Hanny Rivera | |
Small Business
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Bioenergy
| Ginkgo Bioworks is the world’s leading cell engineering platform. In the context of this opportunity, Ginkgo has specific experience in engineering microbes to produce proteins that can bind rare earth elements and other critical minerals. Ginkgo can perform the genetic manipulations and experiments needed to create and validate performance of microbial strains with new functions (e.g., binding specificity or survival under the specific conditions, e.g. high/low pH or salinity), optimize the growth and efficiency of those strains to do the required job, and scale up production to capture the minerals of interest in sufficient quantities.
Ginkgo can serve as an bioengineering partner to develop methods for biological recovery of critical minerals from algal biomass. While Ginkgo does not have expertise in macroalgal genetic engineering, Ginkgo may also serve as a robust partner for bioinformatics, analytics and pathway discovery in algal engineering projects, or in projects that seek to enhance or modify algal microbiomes to enhance critical mineral uptake. |
| MA |
| | University of Utah | Jiaqi Jin | |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| Before joining academia in 2019, I worked as a metallurgist in the mining industry, which involved physical and chemical extraction of precious metals and base metals. My technical expertise includes surface chemistry of minerals, characterization of 3D structures in micro and nano scale, and fluid flow through porous media. My lab has a tomography system can resolve regions inside macroalgae rich of rare earth or PGM elements if exist. Also, I have access to 2D image instrument with sub-ppm level detection of elements. |
| UT |
| | Native Village of Eyak | Caitlin McKinstry | |
Indian/Native American Tribal Government
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Other Energy Technologies
| The Native Village of Eyak (NVE) is a federally recognized Alaskan tribal government. Our purpose is to promote economic opportunities for our tribal members while protecting the land and natural resources of the Prince William Sound (PWS) and Copper River Delta. As the largest tribe in PWS, we have extensive experience working with fellow tribal governments and organizations that service this region.
Our mariculture research program hosts the largest kelp farm in PWS. Our team of biologists and engineers are currently researching best practices to grow kelp and the ecosystem services and economic advantages this industry can provide to our region. This includes investigating the role mariculture can play in mineral extraction strategies.
NVE has a long track record of collaborating on projects involving economic, community, tribal, and natural resources development. We qualify as a Mature Contractor under the Indian Self-Determination Act. Our Department of the Environment and Natural Resources is experienced in conducting high-quality scientific research programs in some of the most challenging environments in the world. We have extensive experience with the logistics involved in implementing innovative projects in rural Alaska both on the water and in the backcountry. |
| AK |
| | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Michael Huesemann | |
Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC)
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Bioenergy
| Seaweed cultivation.
Critical minerals analysis.
Biomass extraction.
Hydrothermal conversion of biomass. |
| WA |
| | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Kristen Hunter-Cevera | |
Federal Government
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Bioenergy
| My name is Kristen Hunter-Cevera and my background is in Biological Oceanography. My past and current research focuses on understanding different aspects of marine microbial ecology. I have utilized the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus as a model system to explore questions of population dynamics and diversity, and how interactions with other organisms (such as heterotrophic bacteria and nanoflagellate grazers) affect those dynamics. This work has involved extensive isolation and culturing of a variety of microorganisms. Techniques have included flow cytometry, time series analysis, FTIR, microfluidics, molecular biology, and mathematical and statistical modeling.
Recently, I've made a transition into bioproduction research. My current projects focus on understanding heterogeneity and variability during scale-up. This work has involved the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides, different feedstocks and experiments up to 2L scale.
It is my goal to leverage my background in both marine research and now bioproduction to be able to effectively utilize marine resources and organisms to help achieve sustainable bioproduction of fuels and compounds. |
| CA |
| | Blue Institute Labs | Judith Underwood | |
Small Business
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Power Generation: Renewable
| Blue Economy expert in scaling emerging technologies in the water and ocean space including seaweed farming, digitization, ecosystem health. |
| MA |
| | MIT, SOS Carbon | Andres Bisono Leon | |
Academic
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Originally from the Dominican Republic, Andres is a ClimateTech entrepreneur working at the intersection of social impact and Climate Action. Andres holds a dual-major in Mechanical Engineering and Finance from Drexel University. Social and environmental impact has always been part of Andres' life endeavors. While in Philadelphia, he supported the community and empowered students and professionals by being part of LeBow BRIDGE Advisory Board and Prospanica Philadelphia Board. He worked at New Hudson Facades, a Related Companies subsidiary, in the development of three skyscrapers with a projects scope worth over USD$170 M at the iconic Hudson Yards in NYC. Since 2018, Andres has been leading SOS Carbon Inc. Sargassum Ocean Sequestration of Carbon (SOS Carbon) is a spun off company from the Mechanical Engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SOS Carbon is focused on scaling its unique patented technologies to turn sargassum seaweed invasions problem into an economical natural carbon sequestering opportunity and into value-add products. As a member of MIT Sloan School of Management and Legatum Fellow, Andres’ motivation is his capacity to transform society and the environment for a better tomorrow. SOS Carbon is committed to solving one of the Caribbean's most threatening problem, generate employment and value chains to the region, and fight climate change for a global impact. |
| MA |
| | Washington Sea Grant | Meg Chadsey | |
Academic
|
Bioenergy
| Regenerative seaweed aquaculture; alternative uses for 'nuisance seaweed' collected from aquaculture gear; seaweed-based carbon capture/sequestration strategies; seaweed aquaculture permitting and regulation; science translation; public outreach |
Website: wsg.uw.edu
Email: mchadsey@uw.edu
Phone: 2066161538
Address: 3716 Brooklyn Ave. NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
| WA |
| | Columbia University | Ah-Hyung Alissa Park | |
Academic
|
Bioenergy
| My group has developed an alkaline thermal treatment technology that can directly convert wet and salty biomass (seaweeds, food wastes etc) to high purity hydrogen while sequestering carbon. Our technology can also concentrate critical elements in solid streams that can effectively extracted and purified further. |
| NY |
| | Cornell University | Buz Barstow | |
Academic
|
Bioenergy
| My lab works on systems and synthetic biology for sustainable energy. We look for problems in sustainable energy, characterize the genetics of microbes that have some of the pieces of the solution, and then figure out ways to turbocharge this capability with synthetic biology. Our biggest breakthroughs are in bioleaching for rare earth element bio-mining, biosorption for rare earth separation, and electromicrobial production for synthesis of complex molecules from CO2 and renewable electricity. |
| NY |
| | Oregon State University | Gregory Rorrer | |
Academic
|
Bioenergy
| Background and Capabilities of PI. Dr. Gregory Rorrer is professor of chemical engineering at Oregon State University (OSU). The Rorrer Lab has expertise in controlling the cultivation and metabolism of marine macroalgae (seaweeds) and microaglae (diatoms) in engineered systems. Specific areas relevant to this ARPA-e RFI include 1) development of clonal cell and tissue cultures of marine macroalgae, particularly red seaweeds; 2) controlled cultivation of clonal macroalgae in photobioreactors and raceway flow systems; 3) elicitation of secondary metabolism in macroalgal tissue culture for bioactive compounds and bioremediation of xenobiotic compounds; 4) analysis of dynamic CO2 and nutrient uptake by macroalgae; 5) modeling and analysis of engineered macroalgal cultivation systems.
Current projects relevant to ARPA-e RFI. 1) Dynamic analysis of carbon flux by marine macroalgae, focusing on dissolved inorganic uptake (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release by clonal red seaweeds under controlled hydrodynamic environments, with application to ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (Ocean CDR); 2) Controlled protein production by red macroalgae in land-based cultivation systems; 3) Uptake and bioaccumulation of metal ions by red macroalgae under controlled hydrodynamic conditions.
Experimental and Institutional Capabilities. Rorrer Lab: dedicated facilities for development and maintenance of axenic microalgal and macroalgal cultures; climate controlled cold room; instrumented photobioreactors; instrumented raceway cultivation systems designed for seaweed cultivation, equipped with online CO2 uptake measurement; chemical analysis (GC, HPLC, UV-VIS, micro-Raman); photosynthesis analysis. OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC): PI has access to the Newport Aquaculture Laboratory, equipped with filtered seawater system for continuous-flow cultivation systems. OSU College of Oceanography: collaborators and equipment with specialized expertise in trace metal analysis of seawater matrices.
Example References:
Kraai, J.A., and Rorrer, G.L. High density cultivation and CO2 uptake by panel arrays of the macrophytic red alga Gracilaria vermiculophylla in a 100 L raceway pond. Algal Research, 65, 102726 (2022). 10.1016/j.algal.2022.102726
Rorrer, G.L., and Cheney, D.P. Bioprocess Engineering of Cell and Tissue Cultures for Marine Seaweeds. Aquacultural Engineering, 32, 11–41 (2004). 10.1016/j.aquaeng.2004.03.007 |
| OR |
| | University of California, Berkeley | Norma Cecilia Martinez-Gomez | |
Academic
|
Bioenergy
| Expert in developing microbial platforms for bioaccumulation and recovery of rare earth elements using high- and low-grade sources. |
| CA |
| | Fearlessfund.org | Alyson Myers | |
Non-Profit
|
Bioenergy
| Our multi-disciplinary team, including national labs, marine engineers and universities, produces macroalgae for energy and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). We track and harvest at sea. We model the production system, including satellite imagery, and we analyze the material to safely utilize it for climate goals. |
| DC |