Announcements – Zilberman Blog – Opportunities – Events – Articles 1. Seminar Series Part 6: The Bioeconomy
2. IBMC Workshop 3. Making Gold Out of Seaweed 4. EBI Recharge Facility 5. EBI Business Incubator
6. Position Available for Director of Clean Energy Extension at UMass Amherst
7. UC Berkeley Postdoc Position Available: AI for Natural Capital & Biodiversity – Ecosystems Sciences 8. UIUC’s International Compost Awareness Week 9. UIUC: New Solar and Geothermal Installations Power Energy Farm
LBNL: Scientists Crack Decades-Old Puzzle in CO2-to-Fuel Conversion 10. European Commission: A New Tool for Tracking Algae Research in the EU
11. SciTech Daily: Shocking Simplicity: Scientists Turn Falling Rain Into Renewable Energy
12. The Hill: ‘Stretchable’ Toothpaste-Like Battery Offers Flexible Future for Gadgets |
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Seminar Series Part 6: The Bioeconomy |
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Tarek Zohdi, UC Berkeley professor of Mechanical Engineering, joins Logan Roscoe to discuss leveraging artificial intelligence in agriculture and how it will benefit seaweed production. |
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The Energy & Biosciences Institute is excited to announce the third installment of our new seminar series on the bioeconomy. With the ongoing development of the International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC), we are preparing for its operation by speaking with numerous experts in the bioeconomy, macroalgae production, the supply chain, and more. The goals of this series are to: Illuminate the aims and outcomes of the IBMC Explain the various ways seaweed is produced and disseminated, as well as its uses in the supply chain Highlight international and interdisciplinary perspectives on the blue bioeconomy
We hope you enjoy this series and all that it will cover. Please share with students and anyone else that could be interested! |
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| International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center Workshop |
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| The Energy Biosciences Institute is proud to announce the first-ever workshop of the International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC), taking place May 1–2, 2025, at Anchor House, UC Berkeley. This two-day event will bring together leading experts from around the world to explore the frontiers of macroalgae research and its role in the emerging bioeconomy.
Workshop sessions will cover a range of topics, including macroalgae biodiversity and genomics, innovations in cultivation and harvesting, workforce development, sustainability, and social equity. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network, join in table discussions, and view short films highlighting the extraordinary potential of seaweed in addressing climate change.
This is the first workshop of its kind, and a unique opportunity to engage with the growing international community focused on macroalgae-based solutions. We look forward to welcoming researchers, industry leaders, and community members as we launch the IBMC’s next chapter of global collaboration. |
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Making Gold Out of Seaweed |
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| EBI’s Executive Committee member David Zilberman has released a new blog post titled “Making Gold Out of Seaweed,” where he discusses the forthcoming International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC) meeting in Berkeley as well as the IBMC’s research goals.
“IBMC’s ambition is to generate new knowledge about macroalgae that will lead to transformative action,” he writes. “We believe that with concerted effort, the annual revenue of the algae sector can grow to $100 billion within 10–15 years—and with expanded capabilities, potentially reach $1 trillion annually. “
Learn about how the IBMC is unlocking the potential of macroalgae by reading more. |
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Position Available for Director of Clean Energy Extension at UMass Amherst |
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The Clean Energy Extension at the University of Massachusetts is accepting applications for the role of Director of Clean Energy Extension at UMass Amherst.
The Director will maintain ongoing obligations and develop new collaborations for CEE to support its mission, maintain its financial stability, and enhance its value to the Commonwealth and university. The Director will bring new expertise to CEE and is expected to develop applied research and/or public service and outreach activities consistent with the CEE mission. The Director will be responsible for managing CEE staff and their professional development. The Director will hold a faculty position in the Department of Environmental Conservation and teach one to two courses per year in clean energy and the energy transition, as well as contribute to other departmental service needs typical for faculty. Joint affiliation with another academic department may be considered based on the candidate’s background. For more information, follow the link below. |
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UC Berkeley Postdoc Position Available: AI for Natural Capital & Biodiversity – Ecosystems Sciences |
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The Potts group at UC Berkeley seeks a postdoctoral researcher in the area of natural capital and biodiversity with a specific focus on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to innovate and scale action. The interdisciplinary group utilizes qualitative and quantitative tools to solve key problems impeding action in conserving forests, restoring biodiversity, and scaling natural pathways for carbon sequestration.
The postdoctoral researcher for this position will work to identify and develop novel data-enabled solutions to accurately and efficiently measure and report on natural capital and biodiversity to provide actionable information to track change and scale restorative actions. For more information on the position, follow the link below. |
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UIUC’s International Compost Awareness Week |
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| Environmental and recycling businesses, organizations, community groups and individuals around the U.S. are making plans to celebrate the annual International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) coming up the week of May 4-10. The goal of ICAW is to build public awareness on the benefits of compost use and recycling organics—including food scraps and yard waste.
This is the fourth year the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition is producing a lineup for more than farmers, gardeners and composting industry folks. These are fun and informative opportunities for all individuals, adults, youth and families to experience. Illinois will be hosting over 50 in-person and virtual events throughout twelve counties. To see the events, follow the link below. |
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UIUC: New Solar and Geothermal Installations Power Energy Farm |
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Solar panels and geothermal wells are often installed separately, but at the University of Illinois Energy Farm, they now work together.
A new project combines a 270-kilowatt solar array with a network of geothermal boreholes to sustainably power the facility. Like a dynamic loop between sun and soil, the system captures energy above and below ground to achieve near net-zero operation. To see how this hybrid approach could shape the future of campus energy, read more. |
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LBNL: Scientists Crack Decades-Old Puzzle in CO2-to-Fuel Conversion |
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For decades, scientists have tried to turn carbon dioxide into fuel, but a critical piece of the puzzle stayed hidden. Now, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab have found it: an intermediate that helps steer the reaction toward valuable products. “Once you know how a reaction works, you can come up with clever ways to make it better,” says Joel Ager, senior scientist at Berkeley Lab. With this step revealed, building cleaner fuels from CO₂ might be closer than ever. To see how they cracked it, read more. |
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European Commission: A New Tool for Tracking Algae Research in the EU |
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Algae is becoming one of the most promising players in Europe’s blue economy, and now there’s a way to follow its trends. A new interactive tool maps algae research projects across the EU, connecting startups, researchers, and policymakers in one place. “This platform brings all the algae knowledge together,” the team behind it says.
To learn how this tiny organism is driving a growing industry, read more. |
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SciTech Daily: Shocking Simplicity: Scientists Turn Falling Rain Into Renewable Energy |
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Nowadays, there are many different energy sources—but that doesn’t stop scientists from looking for more. A new study shows that falling water droplets can trigger a burst of renewable energy, no massive infrastructure required. ““Water that falls through a vertical tube generates a substantial amount of electricity by using a specific pattern of water flow: plug flow,” says Siowling Soh, the study’s corresponding author. “This plug flow pattern could allow rain energy to be harvested for generating clean and renewable electricity.”
To learn the implications of this innovation, read more. |
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The Hill: ‘Stretchable’ Toothpaste-Like Battery Offers Flexible Future for Gadgets |
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Traditional batteries are rigid and heavy, but researchers are working on a version that’s soft, squishy, and powered by a fluid electrolyte. Built more like a flexible sponge than a metal block, the new battery can bend and compress while still storing energy. It could be a game-changer for wearable devices, medical implants, and soft robotics. To get a closer look at how it works, read more. |
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