ACS Graduate Student Symposium on Characterization of Algal Lipids

I was recently selected to organize and run a symposium at the ACS Spring 2013 National Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the characterization of algal lipids. This selection is in response to our proposal for the Graduate Student Member Symposium Grant, sponsored by the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry.

The symposium will explore recent advances in lipid characterization during the algal biodiesel production process, including in situ algal lipid monitoring, measurements during extraction and conversion to biodiesel, and characterization of fatty acid co-products. We expect that improved knowledge of algal lipids during growth, extraction, conversion, and co-production will increase the productivity of algal biofuel feedstocks, making them an economically feasible sustainable replacement for petroleum-based fuels. Presentations will cover both industrial monitoring methods and investigation of algal lipids for improved process design.