Opportunities for Innovation in Energy Technology using Bioinspired Design East Coast Working Group Dr. Marc von Keitz, Program Director Dr. Victoria Chernow, Fellow Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) Boston, MA December 5, 2019
Outline ‣ Role of ARPA-E as a catalyst for innovation in energy and emissions-relevant technologies. ‣ Why is ARPA-E interested in Bioinspired Design? 1
The ARPA-E Bio-focused Portfolio Biofuels Conversion Technologies Feedstock Technologies ELECTRO TERRA -FUELS 2015 2010 2016 ROOTS PETRO 2011 CH 4 REMOTE MARINER 2013 2017 Fuel Source: Li et. al. Science. 335 (6076), 1596 (2012). 2
OPEN 2012 – Bioinspired Technology Example ‣ Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) → an adaption of the low- friction surfaces used by the carnivorous pitcher plant to catch prey. ‣ SLIPS nanostructured coatings outperform technologies like Teflon in friction, drag reduction, and repelling a broad range of contaminants. ‣ The material system has been used to improve energy efficiency in areas including industrial cooling systems, biofouling, wastewater treatment, and pipeline coatings. ‣ Spun out as Adaptive Surface Technologies, Inc. Source: ARPA-E Impact Sheet 3
4
Relevant Trends in Power and Carbon • The world’s fifth- largest economy, California, has committed to 100% carbon-free power by 2045 • The price (direct or indirect) of emitting CO 2 will go up • The price of and C- intensity of electricity will decrease IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017
Utilizing “Trends” in the Energy Sector ‣ With a changing grid and increased access to “cheap” low carbon electrons from renewable electricity sources, can we: – Use e - directly in biological or bioinspired systems? – Use e - to produce external reducing equivalents (H 2 , formic acid, etc.) for biological or bioinspired systems? ‣ 2/3 of consumed energy ends up as rejected/waste heat. – Does biology offer an efficient option for using/upgrading low-grade heat? 6
Some “Trends” around Decarbonization to Think About… 7
Report from SEAB CO 2 Considerations for Scaling to 1 GtCO 2 /yr Task Force, 2016 1. Industries at Gt-scale today – oil, gas, coal, steel, concrete, agriculture 2. 1 GtCO 2 /yr scale will need significant carbon-free/neutral energy and large capital investments – In 2014, out of total 4100 TWh in electricity used in the US, 1340 TWh was carbon free energy (nuclear, wind, solar, hydro). To turn CO 2 into fuels for US transportation demand, we will need 12,000 TWh of carbon-free electricity at very low cost. 3. If it does not work at a 0.1 GtCO 2 /yr scale, it is unlikely to work at 1 GtCO 2 /yr à There needs to be a roadmap for scaling – We need to consider: What is the role of RD&D? What controls learning rates of cost-scale? How much capital investment is needed at various stages? How do science, engineering, economics, finance, markets, regulatory compliance, supply chains, policy, consequences interplay? 4. Achieving 1 GtCO 2 /yr scale will require holistic RD&D – lets bridge fundamental science with systems engineering and feedback loops between stages 5. 1 GtCO 2 /yr scale will have intended and unintended consequences on our biosphere. Continuous monitoring is necessary and an analysis of consequences should be part of RD&D 6. Large skilled workforce needed 7. A charge on CO 2 may be required – a price or regulations or combination
Realizing Decarbonization through Bioinspired Design ‣ How can we decarbonize industry and materials production outside of electrification? – Using the built environment as a carbon sink. ‣ Bioinspired innovations in the agricultural sector? ‣ Targeting difficult-to- eliminate emissions sectors. Source: EPA Inventory on GHG Emissions (2019) 9 “Net-zero emissions energy systems” Science [link]
Bio-molecular Capabilities that can be Utilized Source: Adesina et. al. Chem (2017) 2 (1) 20–51 10
Biological Capabilities that can be Utilized ‣ Zooming out to the meso- to macro-scale, bio-molecular design engenders: – Advanced gradients and spatial patterning – Dimensionality and hierarchy – Engineered stiffness and compliance – Advanced control systems (animal flight, swarm dynamics) Source: Z. Liu et al. Progress in Materials Science 88 (2017) 467–498 Wegst et. al. Nature Materials 14 (2015) 23-36 11 Z. Liu et al. Progress in Materials Science 88 (2017) 467–498 Yang et. al. Science Robotics 3(14) (2018) eaar7650
Looking at a System Holistically 12
Molecules Materials Devices Systems 13
The Evolving Tools of Synthetic Biology • CAD tools for automated design of genes and proteins • Pathway design • Bioprospecting Design • Metabolic engineering • DNA construction from oligonucleotides to genes to gene systems to cellular genomes • Gene and genome editing, CRISPR/Cas9 • Library construction Build • Booting of engineered constructs • High-throughput Screening • Directed Evolution Test Adapted from: National Academies, Specific Synthetic Biology Concepts, Approaches, and Tool, Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology 14
Current Applications for Synthetic Biology Source: P. Nguyen. Biochemical Society Transactions (2017) 45 585–597 15
The Funding Landscape for Bioinspired Technology ‣ NSF ‣ ARPA-E ‣ NIH – How do we best deploy biology? ‣ DOE (Office of Science, BETO) – How do we quantitatively assess ‣ DARPA the advantages of bioinspired – Living Foundries Program technologies v. other design processes? – Engineered Living Materials – How do we scale technologies Program (spatial, volumetric and temporal)? – Technology LCA and TEA – Efficiency (energy, carbon, throughput, etc.) 16
https://arpa-e.energy.gov 17
ELECTROFUELS Microorganisms for Liquid Transportation Fuel Goals Mission • Develop and integrate organisms for autotrophic/non-photosynthetic biological systems Develop microorganisms to create liquid transportation fuels in a new • Increase liquid fuel energy density beyond ethanol and different way that could be up to 10 times more energy efficient Highlights than current biofuel production • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) methods. – Using glucose feedstock, increased lipid concentration to values demonstrating commercial potential in markets such as animal feed Year 2010 – Novogy acquired the use of MIT’s genetically engineered yeast biocatalysts for lipid production Projects 13 • OPX Biotechnologies – Demonstrated fatty acid production from engineered microbes fed H 2 and CO 2 Funding $48.7 million – Raised $64M in venture funding Amount
PETRO Plants Engineered to Replace Oil Mission Goals • Develop pine trees that will accumulate 20% of their biomass as high energy terpene molecules Develop non-food crops that • Develop tobacco that produces oil directly, together with high planting density directly produce transportation agriculture fuels to be cost-competitive • Introduce multiple metabolic pathways into oilseed crops to significantly improve with petroleum and not photosynthesis impactful on U.S. food supply. Highlights • UCLA – Engineering novel switchgrass lines with a new biochemical pathway that could enable Year 2011 up to 200% more CO 2 using the same amount of light • University of Florida Projects 10 – Engineering pine trees as a source of fuel precursors for the domestic production of aviation and diesel biofuels, enabling large-scale production of replacements for Funding $55.7 million petroleum-based fuels Amount
REMOTE BIOLOGICAL CONVERSION OF GAS TO LIQUIDS Mission Goals ▸ Develop innovative catalysts and lab scale reactors to efficiently and cost-effectively convert natural gas Develop transformational biological ▸ Lower the cost of gas to liquids conversion technologies to convert gas to liquids for transportation fuels. The REMOTE projects ▸ Enable the use of low-cost, domestically sourced natural new biological conversion technologies offer gas for transportation, which could reduce vehicle the potential for conversion processes to be emissions compared to conventional gasoline engines feasible at small scales so that small, remote sources of methane can be utilized. Highlights ▸ LanzaTech Year 2013 – The team’s first commercial units are expected to be commissioned as Projects 16 part of their existing carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fermentation processes used to recycle waste gases from industrial facilities Funding Amount $7.8 million
Recommend
More recommend
