View Source | March 10, 2014
Students and researchers from Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona are collaborating on an Arizona Board of Regents-funded project to grow algae using wastewater. The algae can then be harvested to create fuel, feed and food products. This collaboration aims to advance algae as an industry in Arizona, one that will produce valuable products and remediate wastewater while creating job opportunities for residents.
With expansive non-arable land suitable for algae farms and more than 330 sunny days per year to encourage algae growth through photosynthesis, Arizona serves as an ideal location for algae research. The Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI), located at ASU's Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, is a hub for research, testing, and commercialization of algae-based products. These include biofuels, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and other algae biomass coproducts. The center also functions as a learning environment for the next generation of scientists and engineers.