Reviewer Comments - EERE

2011 Algae Platform Review – Reviewer Comments
Reviewer Comments are direct transcripts of commentary and material provided by the Platform’s
Review Panel. They have not been edited or altered by the Biomass Program.
Reviewer: 2
This is an important area for DoE; some biofuels must come from algae (due to the chemical realities of
different molecules for different purposes). Also, there are additional products (plastics) that will demand
algal biofuels, even when we kick the petroleum habit. If algal biomass production were coupled to
watershed clean-up (e.g., the Mississippi, the amount of biomass produced could be significant and drive
a much larger part of total biofuels in the future from algal sources.
Reviewer: 3
There is an absolute need of continuity in this Algal Biomass program. Three years of R&D is not
sufficient to bring about a successful outcome, as the case would be with any and all new and ambitious
programs. The stakes for the country and the world are enormous, and the effort ought to reflect this very
fact. I should emphasize that microalgal biofuels is an area the private sector has embraced with
enthusiasm, and where private industry funds have been invested. The federal government and the DOE
ought to take a queue from the trail of "private sector investments" in this field and to help accelerate this
line of R&D with continuous support beyond the initial three-year period of funding.
Reviewer: 4
There are no additional recommendations.
Reviewer: 5
For the large projects, it is vital that the managers pressure the investigators to objectively evaluate and
integrate their individual results relative to large scale production. Otherwise, it will be too easy for
individuals to focus on individual processes and be left with an array of unrelated results.
Reviewer: 6
It would be helpful to have independent experts develop the road map, as opposed to those who will
shortly be applying for large expenditures of funds along the lines of the roadmap.
Also, it would be helpful to permit a longer time for preperation from the time of the RFP, and to instill a
more rigorous review process of the proposals.
Reviewer: 7
It might be useful to require projects to establish specific, quantitative goals direclty related to algal
biofuel commercial requirements.
Focus on the biggest technical hurdles--growth, harvest, and extraction. Some of the risk assesment and
co-product studies appear to be premature because strain and process will dramatically affect
characteristics. Co-product and risk assesment work should be limited to early feasibility demonstration.
The program will not fail due to lack of technology to convert lipids to fuels, so this work should be
minimized.
Peer Review Presentations need more structure imposed by DOE--a summary slide of specific
quantitative goals, baseline, achieved, and expected results against those goals, and decision points based
on resutls. Any economic projections need to be accompanied by assumptions and calculations.
There are many strain screening efforts. A centralized database for the results might be valuable.
Validation of screening processes against strain performance in pilot operations is needed. A
standaridzied, small scale, rapid measuremetn system for strain performance validated against longe term
outdoor cutlivation would be extremely valuable. A statistical analysis of algae biodiversity based on
strain data already collected might be a useful tool to determine if continued bioprospecting is likley to
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