International Energy, Inc. announced the implementation of a new technology, BioGauge™, that will rapidly determine the accumulation of bio-oil and other valuable compounds in microalgae, which will catapult the importance of algae in the biofuels commercial sector.
“In order to extract the maximum quantity and quality of bio-oil or bio-polymer from microalgae, it is vital that engineers are able to rapidly determine exactly how much of the compound of interest is present in the algae feedstock at all times during its growth. In all cases, we want to extract oil at the peak moment in the algae’s natural oil production cycle, and this newest innovation uniquely positions International Energy with a fast, reliable technology to do so,” explained Gregory B. O’Reilly, President and CEO of International Energy.
The company noted one of the most vital steps in the production of commercial bio-crude and biofuels from algae is the capability to determine an accurate time to extract oil from the feedstock during the algae’s growth cycle. Previously, scientists’ methods have been time-consuming, but BioGauge™ is instantaneous.
“Notably, BioGauge™, our patent-pending breakthrough, gives us the competitive edge in rapidly screening multiple samples for the content of the desired compound(s) in microalgae and photosynthetic bacteria, a know-how that can maximize harvest yields and ultimately help hedge against the risk of product degradation,” said O’Reilly.