Bioenergy and Biome Sciences

Los Alamos student Calla Glavin (left) and Taraka Dale, a researcher in the Bioscience Division on the Ultrasonic Algal Biofuel Harvester team, measure the lipids harvested from algal cells.

Microbial ecology, biochemistry, omics, and informatics for biome studies and bioenergy

A finite supply of fossil fuels is threatening to disrupt humans’ way of life, but their continued use is also destroying the global environment and threatening all living organisms. Bioscience research addresses these problems through the advancement of new energy technologies and through comprehensive studies of the world’s ecology.

Through research that spans integrated ‘omics to pathway engineering and advanced biochemistry scientists at Los Alamos are finding alternatives to fossil fuels as a core mission for ensuring our national energy security. This work includes:

• Enhancing growth, oil production, and photosynthetic efficiency in biofuel feedstocks
• Gaining a better understanding of the structure and biochemical and thermochemical conversion of cellulose for use in fuel production
• Biochemical conversion to create efficient fuels and valuable co-products that are normally fossil fuel-based
• Development of a comprehensive, genomics-based understanding of organisms and their environment