Robert D. Gardner – Assistant Professor of Renewable Energy

& Sustainability

Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and

West Central Research and Outreach Center

University of Minnesota

WCROC – Utilizing Dairy Wastewater for

Sustainable Production of Energy, Feed,

and Food

Midwest Farm Energy Conference

Introduction• Childhood near Jackson Hole WY

• BS Biochemical Engineering (2006) – Utah State University

• Research Scientist – ATK Launch Systems, UT

• MS Biochemical Engineering (2008) – Utah State University

• PhD Chemical Engineering (2012) – Montana State University– Part of the Center for Biofilm Engineering

– IGERT Fellow – Geobiological Systems

– US/EC Course in Environmental Biotechnology – Fellow

• Assistant Professor in BBE at UMN (August 2014)

1. Bilgen S, Kaygusuz K, Sari A. 2004. Renewable Energy for a Clean

and Sustainable Future. Energy Sources 26(12):1119-1129.

waterencyclopedia.com

Global Petroleum-Based Fuels and Feed-Stocks

• Global energy:• 40% electrical energy• 60% petroleum-based fuel

• Historically supplies of petroleum have been balanced with demand.• Anticipated decline between 2020 – 2040 according to the World Resources Institute.• As of 10 years ago:1

• 8 countries contain over 80% of global crude oil reserves.• 6 countries contain 70% of global natural gas reserves.• 8 countries contain almost 90% of global coal reserves.

Motivation Beginning in ~2005

Carbon Cycle, Earth’s Climate, and Rapid Climate Change

Agriculture: Environmental challenge

2016 Global Agricultural Productivity Report® (GAP

Report®).

Kawalekar, 2013. Journal of Bio Innovation, 2:73-78. 9

Water pollution and eutrophication of

watersheds

Greenhouse gases

Soil degradation

Chemical fertilizers + highly productive systems:

Bhardwaj et al., 2014. Microbial cell factories 13(1):.66.

http://sciencebitz.com/?page_id=597

What are algae?

Heterogeneous group of

photosynthetic organisms.

Tomaselli, 2004. The Microalgal Cell. In: Handbook of Microalgal Culture: Biotechnology and Applied Phycology. Blackwell

Science Ltd..

Barsanti, and Gualtieri, 2006. Algae: Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. USA.

http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/the-light-and-dark-reactions-in-the-14705803

Different from plants.

And microalgae?

0.2-2.0 μm in diameter.

Freshwater and marine

ecosystems.

Nearly all terrestrial and sub-

aerial surfaces, including ALL

TYPES of SOIL.

MICROMACRO

Mata et al., 2010. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 14 (1): 217-232.

Tomaselli, 2004. The Microalgal Cell. In : Handbook of Microalgal Culture: Biotechnology and Applied Phycology. Blackwell

Science Ltd.

ALGAE

In applied phycology:

Eukaryotic. Ex: Green algae

Prokaryotic. Ex: Cyanobacteria

Pyropia spp.

Origin of Crude Oil

• Cyanobacteria• Chlorophytes• Diatoms

Ancient Swamps = Modern Petroleum

Origin of Coal

• Moss/Peat• Higher order Plants

• Image from Schenk, P., et al. 2008. BioEnergy Research, 1(1), 20-43.

• Phototrophic microorganisms are biocatalysts that convert renewable

sunlight into biofuels, chemical substrates, and biomass

• Species and strain dependent characteristics

Photosynthesis for Biofuels, Specialty Chemicals, and Biomass

• Functionality of 9DA as an equivalent petrochemical building block – wide range of markets

and applications:

• 9-Decenoic acid (9DA) is easily produced from C18:1 (z-9) fatty acids which are highly

accumulated in algal biomass.

Algal Lipid Petrochemical Equivalency

Burns NA. 2010. Biomass-The Next Revolution in

Surfactants. Inform 21(12):727.

Value-Added Products (besides fuel) from MicroalgalBiomass

Metabolite Description Algal Compound

Lipids/Oleochemicals

Esters, dimer acids, quats, ingredients in many

formulationsFatty acid (including 9DA)

Amines Fatty nitriles

Fatty alkanolamides Fatty acid methyl esters

Fatty alcohol sulfates & ethoxysufates Fatty alcohols

Alkyd resins & emulsifiers Glycerol

Pigments

Astaxanthin, β-Carotene, Lutein Carotenoids

Phycobiliproteins (fluorescent applications,

colorants, and therapeutic uses)

Phycocyanobilin (blue),

phycoerythrobilin (red),

phycourobilin (yellow), &

phycobiliviolin (purple)

Protein Animal feed Defatted algal biomass

CarbohydratesEmulsion stabilization, bioflocculants, &

thickening agentsPolysaccharides

Polyhdroxyalkanoate BioplasticPolyhydroxyalkanoate &

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate

Vitamins Vitamins for food or health sector Vitamin E & C

• This world map shows Earth’s distribution of photosynthesis On land, this is evident via

terrestrial plants, and in oceanic zones, via phytoplankton. (credit: modification of work

by SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and ORBIMAGE)

Alkaline Thermal Sites

Heart Lake

Creek

Acidic Thermal Site

Bioprospecting From Unique Environments

Organisms isolated from extreme environments like

Yellowstone National Park have naturally evolved to

have unique metabolism

Algae Research – Isolation & Characterization

WCROC Existing Dairy

• WCROC Dairy milks about 250 cows twice/day

– Typical of a medium sized Minnesota dairy farm

– Average 8500 lbs/day milk (990 gal/day)

• 5500 lbs/day conventional (65%)

• 3000 lbs/day organic (35%)

How to include microalgae as part of the solution?

BIOFERTILIZER: C and N inputs from air Recycled N and P

Agricultural runoff -High N and P

Water effluent -High N and P

Sunlight + Air (CO2, N2)

Algae cultivation:Nutrient capture, conversion and recycle

Treated waterAnimal feed

Nutrient Capture Conversion and Recycle

Nitrogen - fixing cyanobacterial strains as

organic fertilizers

Microalgae in Agriculture: Cyanobacteria and N2

Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) fixation

Heterocyst

Prasanna et al., 2015. Ecological Engineering, 84, pp.532–541.

Prasanna et al., 2015. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 1(1):998507.

Hashem, 2001. Aust. J. Plant Physiol, 28:881–888

Prasanna et al., 2012. In: Microorganisms in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology. Springer, pp. 173–

175.

30-50% 50% 50%

Replacement of chemical fertilizer

by cyanobacteria or cyanobacterial-based biofilms

50%

4

Nitrogen fixation in heterocysts

Nutrient Capture Conversion and Recycle

Control 35-0-0 Hoagland’s Strain 16

Yellowstone var. Wheat

Strain 16Control

Suneson var. Camelina

7 weeks growth

Control Hoaglands Strain B1611

Control Hoaglands Strain B1611

Algal biofuels – Production concepts

• Photos taken from a general internet search

Experiment # 1. Soil + Algae

Effects on soil aggregate stability, microbial biomass and physicochemical

properties.

SOIL

ALGAE

+

Hamerly soil Air-dryingSieving

Algae cultivationHarvesting

Fresh biomass

Pots: 2.5 kg of soil +

algae at 70 lb N/acre

Experiment # 2. Soil + Algae +

Wheat

Bag reactors for

algal growth

Soil inoculation

and seedingHarvestingIncubation in

growth chamber

No algae Algae

No algae Algae

Wheat plants are likely using the nitrate from the algae.

01020304050607080

Noalgae,

noplants

Noalgae,

noplants

Noalgae,plants

Algae,no

plants

Algae+

plants

Noalgae,

noplants

Noalgae,plants

Algae,no

plants

Algae+

plants

Nitra

te (p

pm

)

Nitrate in the top layer of soil

4th week 6th weekInitial

Experiment # 2. Soil + Algae +

Wheat

Experiment # 3. Soil + Algae + Simulated rainEffect on soil erosion by runoff and N/P content in leaching and runoff water

Events 2-4: Potential for erosion

control.

U of MN BBE Dept. & WCROC– Lee Johnston & Shri Ramaswamy

– WCROC Renewable Energy Group

– Adriana Alvarez De La Hoz

– John Haseman

– Curt Reese

Collaborators

• USDA-ARS (soils research lab)

• University of Minnesota Morris

• Montana State University

Funding

• UMN

• Church & Dwight Co., Inc.

• US DoE/DoD

Acknowledgements

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