Dr. Michael Cooney, an associate researcher at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is hard at work trying to find a new microbial method to produce fats (lipids) that could both mitigate liquid waste and serve as an alternative source of energy.

Cooney has partnered with Mainland company Community Fuels on the project, which received a DOE Small Business Innovation Research grant to explore the processing of biodiesel from microalgae and yeast. Phase I of the project is now complete and Cooney is hoping the next phase of research will be funded so he can continue this important work.