Research
Algae
Algal lipid production is the focus of our research. We are thinking about and experimenting with new and innovative ways to build algal ecosystems that promote and favor the production of species that yield high volumes of oils that are suitable as feedstock for biodiesel. We take both a cell biology and systems biology approach. Growing algae in a pond is easy work, designing a sustainable and efficient oil producing ecosystem on an industrial scale is indeed daunting. We have PhDs in biology and chemistry tasked with finding the soloution - and building a new oil industry in the United States.
Agriculture
With guidance from The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, we are working closely with Nevada farmers to grow oilseed. As of December 2007, two statewide field trials have been undertaken to study oilseed crops that thrive in Nevada, crops that yield oil suitable for biodiesel production. If you are interested in a rotation for hay or alfalfa, or would like to know more about oilseed crops that use less water and fewer resources than hay or alfalfa please contact us.
Biodiesel
The technology to produce biofuels is not terribly complex, but science and research is needed to deliver and guarantee consistent quality and reliable biofuels. Since the source material has a great impact on the quality of the final product, we spend time studying the characterization of lipids because not all oils make good biodiesel. The emissions of a diesel application using our final product is of great concern as well. Displacing the use of fossil fuels by using biodiesel is one of our goals, but the replacement fuel must be cleaner buring for the solution to really make sense.
Geothermal
Our business model is based on using geothermal energy directly for process heat and indirectly through electrical power production. All our fieldsites are located proximate to geothermal resources, supporting our goal of being entirely fossil fuel independent. We have designed a business model that produces biodiesel from algae using geothermal resources, using no fossil fuels or petroleum products.