Award Number: DE-EE0008120CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6, B5.15Bioenergy Technologies OfficeLocation(s): WAOffice(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
August 10, 2017
Estimated Read Time min
SOFAST: Streamlined Optimization of Filamentous Arthrospira/Spirulina Traits
Award Number: DE-EE0008120
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6, B5.15
Bioenergy Technologies Office
Location(s): WA
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to Lumen Bioscience, Inc. to design, develop, and evaluate lipid-producing and stress resistant strains of genetically engineered Arthrospira (cyanobacteria species) for algal biofuel production.
The proposed project would involve: data collection and analysis; software development; laboratory-based research and development including metabolic design, engineering and profiling; and both indoor and outdoor performance testing of genetically modified Arthrospira strains. Initial design, bench- and small-scale strain engineering and testing will occur at the dedicated Lumen research laboratory in Seattle, WA. Combinatorial libraries of stress tolerance genes would be comprised of 100-1000 unique sequences. Algae growth would be approximately 1-50 L in indoor photobioreactors and raceways. Samples would be shipped to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO for bench-scale indoor strain cultivation (up to 5 L) and metabolic phenotyping of the strains utilizing mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. Both of these facilities are designed for this type of research; no modifications or new permits, additional licenses and/or authorizations would be necessary. No change in the use, mission or operation of existing facilities would arise out of these efforts.