For decades, algae have been seen as a promising source of sustainable food, animal feed, biofuels and carbon-neutral materials. Compared with traditional crops and livestock, algae grow faster, require less land and freshwater and can directly convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into useful products. However, a major challenge has limited the widespread adoption of algae technologies for large-scale applications: light cannot penetrate deeply into the dense cultures used to grow algae resulting in slowed growth and increased production costs.
Xinyue Liu, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State, is part of a team developing new light-scattering hydrogel optical fibers as a way to grow algae and other photosynthetic microorganisms at an industrial scale.
The light-scattering fibers distribute sunlight more evenly throughout the dense culture, allowing microalgae to grow more efficiently, improving yield productivity by six-fold without requiring additional energy input, making algae-based production more practical and scalable.
By improving the efficiency of photosynthesis, this technology could enable more sustainable production of food, fuels and materials while also supporting carbon capture and reducing environmental impact. In the long term, this work could contribute to building more sustainable and resilient energy and food systems.
Liu anticipates the optical fibers will solve the light-limitation bottleneck for microalgal production faced by biomass manufacturers, as well as agriculture and aquaculture industries and carbon capture and climate technology companies. They may also attract interest from photobioreactor and bioprocess equipment manufacturers seeking higher efficiency, as well as specialty photonics companies developing light-distribution technologies.
To learn more about Liu’s work, visit:
- Improving Photosynthesis by Scattering Hydrogel Fibers-Enabled Volumetric Illumination(opens in new window)
- Fatigue-Resistant Hydrogel Optical Fibers Enable Peripheral Nerve Optogenetics During Locomotion(opens in new window)
- Engineered Living Hydrogels(opens in new window)
- Liu Research Group(opens in new window)
- Xinyue Liu MSU Scholars page(opens in new window)
- Xinyue Liu Google Scholar page
This story originally appeared on the College of Engineering website.
Opportunities for Partnership
The MSU Innovation Center is seeking companies and organizations interested in algae cultivation technology, photobioreactor efficiency innovations, and sustainable bioproduction systems.
Whether you’re exploring sponsored research, licensing opportunities, or co-developing light-scattering hydrogel optical fiber systems, volumetric illumination photobioreactors, or scalable microalgae production platforms, we’re ready to collaborate.
Interested in partnering with MSU faculty on microalgae cultivation research and next-generation sustainable bioproduction and carbon capture solutions?
Visit innovationcenter.msu.edu or contact us to start the conversation.
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About the MSU Innovation Center:
The MSU Innovation Center serves as the gateway for industry to access Michigan State University’s research expertise, technologies, and talent. Through strategic corporate engagement, sponsored research partnerships, and technology transfer, the Innovation Center connects companies with faculty innovators to accelerate R&D, commercialize new technologies, and bring market-ready solutions to scale. As part of a top-tier public research university, the Innovation Center helps organizations collaborate with MSU to drive innovation and economic growth.
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