Lumen Bioscience to Grow Spirulina in Historic Seattle Bakery
Lumen Bioscience has announced the future expansion of its biologics manufacturing capabilities through a lease agreement to occupy a former bakery in the Fremont-Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Once reconfigured by Lumen, the space will house a greatly expanded, cGMP-grade production facility for making the larger volumes of spirulina-based biologic drugs needed for Lumen Bio’s upcoming clinical trials. “This factory has safely produced food for decades, and it’s not a huge leap from making sourdough to spirulina-based drugs,” said Craig Behnke, Executive Vice President, Production/Development at Lumen Bio.
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Algae Producers Call for EU Action on Aquafeed
Agroup of leading European microalgae producers are calling on the European Union to set binding targets for cutting the proportion of wild-caught fish in aquafeed. The companies have submitted a joint letter to Carmen Preising, Deputy Head of Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, expressing their commitment to working with the European Commission on its #EU4Algae initiative. At the end of last year, the Commission consulted on proposals aimed at increasing the sustainable production, safe consumption and innovative use of algae and algae-based products.
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Seaweed Scientist Awarded for Diabetes Breakthrough
An Indian scientist has been recognized for developing a series of nutraceutical products from seaweeds to treat various lifestyle diseases including diabetes. Dr Kajal Chakraborty, principal scientist at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute(CMFRI) won the Norman Borlaug National Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research. The prize, which is only awarded once every five years, was instituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), functioning under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The award comes with a cash prize and a research grant for carrying out a challenging research project for five years.
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USC’s Aquaculture Lab Moves to Port of LA’s AltaSea
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles has announced a new partnership with University of Southern California professor Dr. Sergey Nuzhdin of the Dornsife College, Biological Sciences Department, to establish an expansive seaweed lab – the Nuzhdin Research Laboratory – on the AltaSea campus. The 6,000 square foot lab will be the home to research on regenerative aquaculture as well as commercial application of new technologies in aquafarming. In addition to the research, several projects and initiatives are in development at AltaSea with the seaweed lab. They include a demonstration bivalve and seaweed platform, mentorship programs for undergraduate and graduate students, an augmented reality algae farming educational experience, and community engagement experiences in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club of LA Harbor.
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New From Algae Planet!
This week Algae Planet launches two new features. The first is a series of video interviews on the Women of Algae, hosted by Algae Planet’s Felicity Broennan. In the first installment, Felicity interviews Microbiologist, Entrepreneur, and Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization, Dr. Rebecca White, on the past, present and future of algae. This is a fascinating look at our industry through the eyes of one of algae’s most important scientists. The second new feature is a service for our international readers. Starting this week, Algae Planet is selectable to read in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Dutch, Hebrew, Italian, or Portuguese. Just choose the flag on the home page above the Algae Planet logo.
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