These microalgae are hardy little creatures, living in both warm and cold, salt and fresh waters around the world, making them great candidates for cultivation almost anywhere—in cities, on land, or at sea. According to the team’s estimates, only 1 to 2 million acres of open ponds would be required to produce all of the cement that the U.S. needs—0.5% of all land area in the U.S. and only 1% of the land used to grow corn.

商品化球藻

这些微藻是顽强的小生物，生活在世界各地的温暖和寒冷、咸水和淡水中，使它们成为几乎任何地方：城市、陆地或海上的理想养殖对象。 根据该团队的估计，只需要 1 到 200 万英亩（仅占美国所有土地面积的 0.5%，只需要 1% 用于种植玉米的土地）的露天池塘来就能生产美国所需的所有水泥。

https://scitechdaily.com/images/Coccolithophore-1.jpg?ezimgfmt=rs:720x720/rscb1/ng:webp/ngcb1

A scanning electron micrograph of a single coccolithophore cell, Emiliania huxleyi. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Alison R. Taylor, University of North Carolina Wilmington Microscopy Facility

单个球石藻细胞 Emiliania huxleyi 的扫描电子显微照片。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons / Alison R. Taylor，北卡罗来纳大学威尔明顿显微镜设施

And limestone isn’t the only product microalgae can create: microalgae’s lipids, proteins, sugars, and carbohydrates can be used to produce biofuels, food, and cosmetics, meaning these microalgae could also be a source of other, more expensive co-products—helping to offset the costs of limestone production.

石灰石并不是微藻可以制造的唯一产品：微藻的脂质、蛋白质、糖和碳水化合物可用于生产生物燃料、食品和化妆品，这意味着这些微藻也可以成为其他更昂贵副产品的来源，且有助于抵消石灰石的生产成本。

To create these co-products from algal biomass and to scale up limestone production as quickly as possible, the Algal Resources Collection at UNCW is assisting with strain selection and growth optimization of the microalgae. NREL is providing state-of-the-art molecular and analytical tools for conducting biochemical conversion of algal biomass to biofuels and bio-based products.

为了从藻类生物质中创造这些副产品并尽快扩大石灰石的生产规模，UNCW 的藻类资源收集中心正在协助微藻的菌株选择和生长优化。 NREL 提供最先进的分子和分析工具，用于将藻类生物质生化转化为生物燃料和生物基产品。

There are companies interested in buying these materials, and the limestone is already available in limited quantities.

有些公司有兴趣购买这些材料，而石灰石已经限量供应。

Minus Materials, Inc., a CU startup founded in 2021 and the team’s commercialization partner, is propelling the team’s research into the commercial space with financial support from investors and corporate partnerships, according to Srubar, a co-founder and acting CEO. Minus Materials previously won the university-wide Lab Venture Challenge pitch competition and secured $125,000 in seed funding for the enterprise.

联合创始人兼代理首席执行官 Srubar 表示，成立于 2021 年的 CU 初创公司、团队的商业化合作伙伴 Minus Materials, Inc. 在投资者和企业合作伙伴的财务支持下，正在推动团队对商业领域的研究。 Minus Materials 此前赢得了全校实验室风险挑战赛的竞赛，并为该企业获得了 125,000 美元的种子资金。

The current pace of global construction is staggering, on track to build a new New York City every month for the next 40 years. To Srubar, this global growth is not just an opportunity to convert buildings into carbon sinks, but to clean up the construction industry. He hopes that replacing quarried limestone with a homegrown version can also improve air quality, reduce environmental damage, and increase equitable access to building materials around the world.

当前全球建设步伐惊人，有望在未来 40 年内每月建设一座新纽约市。 对 Srubar 而言，这种全球增长不仅仅是将建筑物转化为碳汇的机会，而且是清理建筑业的机会。 他希望用自产的石灰石代替开采的石灰石也可以改善空气质量，减少对环境的破坏，并增加世界各地对建筑材料的公平获取。

“We make more concrete than any other material on the planet, and that means it touches everybody’s life,” said Srubar. “It’s really important for us to remember that this material must be affordable and easy to produce, and the benefits must be shared on a global scale.”

“我们制造的混凝土比地球上任何其他材料都更多，这意味着它触及每个人的生活，”斯鲁巴说。 “我们必须记住，这种材料必须负担得起且易于生产，并且必须在全球范围内分享其好处，这一点非常重要。”