NewsBits…October 7, 2021

Seagriculture Conference Launches USA Edition in 2022

The organizers of the European Seagriculture Conference, DLG Benelux, have announced the launch of Seagriculture USA, the first international seaweed conference to be held in North America. The conference will take place September 7-8, 2022 in Portland, Maine. By expanding Seagriculture to the US, conference organizers intend to create synergy with the existing 10-year-old European conference and foster a dialogue for the rapidly growing seaweed industry. Portland was chosen for the first edition of Seagriculture USA due to the state being on the forefront of the developing seaweed industry in the US, and the state’s active support of the industry.
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Synthetic Genomics Changes Name to Viridos

Privately held biotechnology company Synthetic Genomics has begun operating under its new corporate name, Viridos, Inc., as part of the company’s broader effort to deploy its cutting-edge genomic expertise and algal engineering platforms that create transformative solutions to climate change. Viridos’ algal biofuel research is part of a 12-year partnership with ExxonMobil to bring advanced biofuels to the transportation market. “Our work with Viridos has helped advance the science of algae as a next generation biofuel and a lower-emission alternative for heavy transportation,” said Vijay Swarup, vice president for research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.
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Study Finds Algae Blooms a Problem but not a Trend

As Earth’s average temperature rises, climate change impacts are growing around the globe. Hurricanes and wildfires are bigger and more destructive. Extreme rain events are more common. Droughts last longer. But surprisingly, one problem isn’t getting universally worse. According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, there isn’t a widespread upswing of harmful algae blooms in North American lakes. The finding contradicts the common narrative that warmer temperatures and heavier rains are making algae blooms worse in lakes across the landscape, according to Grace Wilkinson, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology.
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Anpario Launches Optomega Algae for Omega-3 Animal Health

Anpario, an international manufacturer and distributor of healthful animal feed additives has announced the launch of Optomega Algae, a microalgae-derived, omega-3 fatty acid supplement. The new product is a dry, free-flowing powder composed of algae oil from an undisclosed species of microalgae and is formulated on a unique carrier system and packaged in innovative foil-lined bags for optimum shelf-life and product freshness. Optomega Algae has been developed for use in all species and is specifically targeted at breeding animals and producers supplying omega-3 enriched meat, milk and eggs.
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Seaweed and Livestock Methane Take Scientists to Award Finals

A team of scientists researching whether seaweed additives in cattle feed can reduce the methane emissions of livestock has reached the finals of the prestigious Eureka Science Awards, to be presented this week. As part of the trial, a herd of Tasmanian dairy cows is getting a taste for the much-heralded asparagopsis seaweed, which has methane-reducing properties and could potentially help limit the impact cattle have on climate change. The award nominees, known as FutureFeed, are a team of scientists from the CSIRO and James Cook University in Townsville who are working in collaboration with Meat and Livestock Australia.
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