EVEN THE smallest living things found in the country can make a big impact on its economy.
Studies in the algae biofuel project in Ateneo have shown that microalgae can be used to further aquaculture, oil and energy, nutraceuticals and carbon credits.
As Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, Senator Francis Pangilinan paid a visit to the University last December 3, 2010 to see the potential of algae in generating more aquatic produce.
According to the Ateneo website, Pangilinan said, “We’re looking at synergy. To address poverty, you have to address agriculture.”
The project is a multidisciplinary, interuniversity collaboration among the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and Electronics, Computer and Communication Engineering departments of Ateneo, Ateneo Innovation Center (AIC), UP Engineering, UP Institute of Biology, and the University of Arizona.
Extended support
Project Head Teresita Perez said, “If we can mass produce algae that have potential for [the aquaculture, oil and energy, nutraceuticals and carbon credits], these species of algae can help in the economic development of the Philippines.”
Part of this development is Pangilinan’s vision for the country to be at the forefront of seafood production in the continent.
Perez said that the senator will eventually propose or support bills on algal research.
“The team plans to ask the government to support the project particularly on the procurement of equipment to support mass production and extraction of lipids. As soon as patent has been applied, the technologies that have been developed can then be handed over to [the] industry,” she said.
Cheaper fish food
AIC Junior Operations Officer Matthew Cua said that fish is the number one food source in the country, with the business of growing fish as one of the booming fields of industry today.
He added that feeding fish, however, is the most costly part of taking care of them and that pellets ruin fish pens and aquatic ecosystems in the long run. Not all of the pellets, he said, are taken in by the fish, so the leftovers settle at the bottom and release chemicals that may reduce oxygen.
“One of the alternatives is using algae. That’s their natural food. The only problem with algae was that, before, we could not grow them fast enough,” Cua said.
In the aquaculture aspect of the project, the goal is to grow algae very fast at a constant rate in order to meet the demands of the fisheries industry.
“You can’t expect algae to be [available automatically] at 6am every day, so that [growth expedition] is one of the things that we’re trying to explore,” Cua added.
Moreover, he said that taking into account the environmental, fish health, and chemical concerns, another goal is to cut costs in feeding.
“Knowing that fish food is the most expensive part of growing fish, that’s where we come in,” he said. “We’re not yet sure if it’s [artificial algae as fish food] going to be cheaper, but as far as we can tell, it [is].”
Discoveries and breakthroughs
Lighting experimentations involving algae led to groundbreaking discoveries by the team handling the algae project.
“Recently in Ateneo, we found out that we can grow algae quicker by shedding them light, artificial light. Imagine you’re giving algae artificial light for 14 days, exposed to the light 24 hours a day, so they’ll just grow and grow and grow. And then you put them in a dark stage to let them rest,” Cua said.
To complement the discovery, the team also experimented with red and blue light on algae. Such experimentation brought anything but the lack of progress to the algal research.
Cua said that the team was able to grow the algae three times faster with the red and blue light.
“We’re the only ones in the world right now as far as we know who does red and blue.”
The Philippine government wants to establish the Philippine Algae Center, with the team as the pioneer group.
The University also plans to put up the Ateneo Algae Center. “So we will be the premier institution in algae technology in Southeast Asia, if not in the world,” Cua said.
