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Welcome to BiRAQC's Website !!!

The Biofuels Research and Aquatic Quality Collaborative is a non-profit organization devoted to improving the health of the planet by investigating ways of advancing algaculture. The use of algae can be beneficial to humans in numerous ways including use as

  • 1. Food: Algae are a nutritious and sustainable source of food that can be used to produce a variety of products, including nutritional supplements, protein powders, and even plant-based meat alternatives. Algae are rich in protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, making them a healthy addition to the human diet.
  • 2. Fuel: Algae can be used to produce biofuels, which are renewable and emit less greenhouse gases than traditional fossil fuels. Algae-based biofuels are also more efficient than traditional biofuels because algae can be grown on non-arable land using wastewater, reducing the demand for freshwater and agricultural land.
  • 3. Pharmaceutical and biotech products: Algae contain a variety of bioactive compounds that have potential therapeutic and industrial applications. For example, algae can be used to produce antibiotics, antivirals, anticancer agents, and other drugs. Algae can also be used to produce enzymes, pigments, and other industrial chemicals.
  • 4. Water treatment: Algae can be used to treat wastewater and remove pollutants from water. Algae can remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients from wastewater, reducing the risk of eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. Algae can also be used to remove heavy metals and other contaminants from water.
  • 5. Carbon sequestration: Algae can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into biomass. This process, known as carbon sequestration, can help to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Current research is focused on methods for increasing algae production in inexpensive photobioreactors that can be assembled from new or recycled water bottles that could be used by citizen-scientists or DIY aquaculture even in urban settings. Findings on factors that lead to increased rates of algal production in terms of cell numbers or biomass production could transferred to large-scale production.

Research includes, but is not limited to work on supplementing macronutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) individually or in combinations of various ratios, organic compounds such as amino acids, and micronutrients.

The lab has been successful in collecting ample data on the affects of parameters such as light (intensity and wavelength) and salinity on individual species. The company is now focused on exploring other parameters that can maximize and improve the efficiency of algal population growth (see BiRAQC resource list) or exploring species competition. There is much more to learn and new methods to discover in this endeavor. We look forward to seeing what our new research teams discover!