What are the most innovative ways to improve biomass and bioenergy production sustainability?

By viewing the microalgae growth dynamics from a different perspective, I have found it to be technically feasible to continuously harvest from a high concentration algae culture (within a PBR), we can match the harvest rate to the growth rate. Doing this allows algae to flow like a river from the PBR for weeks at a time instead of the obsolete batch growth process of ponds that only allows 3 harvests per year. We call our system design a, Biomass Engine. By inverting the dynamics of culture concentration and harvesting slowly yet continuously, there is no need for GMO "franken-algae" species for us to be able to deliver on the promise of algae and potential to produce many times the algae than any pond.

Microalgae are a great organism to use that can help to produce a variety of products, chemicals, fuels and foods for use in sustainable products, and decarbonizing industrial processes. One of the great opportunities of the bioeconomy is to utilize atmospheric derived carbon to produce the fuels and products that we use each day at industrial scales. There are other microbes like Bacteria and Archaea which can also be utilized in a similar way to produce products. Some of the challenges with Algae are the energy requirements for photobioreactors and water pumping, dewatering and processing needs. Adding renewable energy generation alongside these production facilities and sourcing atmosphere carbon for the process should both be planned.

Use of waste stream products to recombine into new materials and products is one of the most important innovations and technology approaches possible. While sometimes hard to achieve in economically viable businesses models this has an exponential effect of reducing pollution and waste while also developing new supply chains. Cellullose is widely abundant and also causes further CO2 and CH4 production in many places. So this also adds to the critical nature of properly utilizing this abundant resource.

One bioengineering approach not mentioned here is that using complex microbial communities. Nature breaks down these lignocellulosics using thousands of microbes working together. We can harness the power of microbes by directing them towards one group function and engineer biosystems to produce the products we need. This approach has been used to convert lignocellulosics to produce hydrogen via electrons as intermediate products. Engineered ElectroActive communities can convert lignocellulosics into electrons and protons, which can be combined in bioelectrochemical systems to produce hydrogen. Some degree of pretreatment may be needed, but optimized to develop an economic pathway. SAF can also be generated using further modifications.

Synthetic biology is the wand of a magician. Our ability to be able specifically tailor a microbe to consume a feedstock and produce a wanted product has transformed over the last decade. Our knowledge and capabilities are near endless and continue to keep growing as Ai systems become more accessible and our ability to optimize organisms has increased in speed, reduced in costs, and increased in capabilities. Utilizing nature's powerful and extensive amount of experience over the millennia to our utility is a game changing opportunity for humanity and businesses.

Groups like BioMADE are working to establish coalitions for bio-based manufacturing. Getting states, federal governments, and businesses to work together to identify collaborations, synergies, and opportunities is what is needed. Biorefineries with many inputs and many outputs are needed to ensure they are economically viable.

Algae, lignocellulosics and biowaste are typical feedstocks proposed for biorefineries. As the world moves towards Net Zero and carbon-negative fuels, a long term perspective is needed for developing building blocks for societal needs. These building blocks can come from renewables. Energy needs are expected to be met by electrification and hydrogen, so biomass refineries, unlike oil refineries, need to direct the conversion towards chemical building blocks. Some fraction can go towards SAF and bio hydrogen, but thoughtful integration with chemistries leading to sustainable building blocks is needed. Novel bioengineering platforms like community level engineering, targeted evolution, ElectroActive biofilms need to be developed.

Biorefineries and the integration of their systems offers a huge potential for businesses to utilize their waste streams. From waste heat and cooling, to water, and products the inefficient use of resources is our greatest opportunity for optimization. Biomanufacturing approaches offer a near unlimited potential to utilize all products in a circular manor. Our imagination and access to capital are our only limitations today.

LCA's are critical in the designing stage of the industrial business. These help to define if the proposed approach is actually improving the sustainability or not. There are many combinations of technologies that while on the surface look great, could actually be doing more harm than good. Carbon source of the biomass is also critical, for example selecting to use a feedstock from wood waste from a sawmill vs coal that is extracted from the earth. These could include the same about of carbon, but their source of that carbon plays a dramatically different role in the achieving reduction in GHG emissions and decarbonization efforts.

Holistic LCA's are needed, and consumers need to be educated. Compostable packaging is not a solution for waste, but instead a solution for climate change. Making all packaging bio-based and composting all food waste could get rid of ~5% of climate change. Making packaging and other materials from waste-based materials, and high performance biomaterials could get rid of up to 20% of climate change.

Nature-based systems have been preferred to move closer to Net-Zero, however, this is not enough, as we are already using 1.7X the planets capability to sustain humanity. Carbon-negative solutions are urgently needed. Biomass technologies offer an incredible opportunity to achieve this, if we integrate carbon capture into biorefineries. Photosynthesis already pulls CO2 from the air at no cost. Use of LCA to optimize pathways can effectively identify best solutions to move forward. The low hanging fruit may be a resource which we squander all around the globe: food waste. Conversion of food waste to fuels and bioproducts may be the highest impact route from emissions and economic standpoint we can embrace, based on LCA findings.