Using algae to make beer more sustainable

The latest issue of PLOS Biology includes a special collection of papers on harnessing nature to boost sustainability.

One of the papers, written by researchers Peter Ralph and Mathieu Pernice from the University of Technology Sydney, speaks on the challenge of carbon dioxide pollution. The paper describes the potential of using photosynthetic algae to capture carbon dioxide produced as a by-product of a wide variety of industrial applications, keeping the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere.

“Algae-based carbon capture and manufacture (CCM) has great potential to help mitigate climate change by capturing atmospheric carbon and using it to create long-lasting bioproducts to store carbon. Additionally, CCM offers numerous industrial benefits, such as reducing the cost of chemical processes and enabling the use of advanced manufacturing, potentially transforming many industries into climate-positive biomanufacturing,” Ralph said.

The researchers have collaborated with Young Henrys brewery to put this into practice. In order to use photosynthesis to capture carbon and make industries greener, it is critical to recognise the nexus between industry, society and algae. To do so, the researchers captured emitted CO₂ from the brewery’s fermentation process and used it to grow algal biomass which can then be returned into commercial bioproducts. This creates carbon circularity, delivering more benefits the longer the algae-derived carbon consumer product remains intact, keeping carbon out of the atmosphere for longer.

The plant-based meat industry also used photosynthesis, providing many environmental benefits relative to the conventional meat industry, including a reduction in CO₂ emissions. Most of the industry currently relies on soy for the chemical conversion in bioproducts, but algeo-driven CCM has potential in this space and could further reduce emissions and land use. The building industry could also benefit by using algae-derived carbon products such as wall panels, foams and plastics.

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