From health to critical minerals, a Laurentian University research team looks at the potential of microalgae

In a nondescript lab at Laurentian University in Sudbury, a team of researchers is working to unlock the full potential of microalgae. 

"The green tinge that we see all around Sudbury and elsewhere, that's actually microalgae," said Ashley Scott, the director of the Ongen research group at Laurentian.

"Perfectly healthy and a very important part of the ecosystems of lakes and rivers."

Scott started studying the microorganisms almost by accident.

When he arrived in Sudbury from Australia a decade ago, he connected with research and industry leaders in the community, including at mining giant, Vale.

A friend in the United Kingdom was telling him about the potential microalgae had for the production of biofuels.

"My first reaction having come from Australia was, 'How am I going to grow algae through our winters?'" he said.

But visiting Vale, he noticed the company was already pumping warm water into its tailings ponds – giant deposits that contain the waste from over a century of mining activity in the region.

"This could be a way of growing algae in Sudbury," he said, referencing the tailings ponds which have warm water year-round.

Scott admits he knew almost nothing about microalgae at the time, but he soon learned the aquatic organisms have some interesting properties.

One of those properties is high levels of antioxidants. 

"Significant levels, much higher than you would find in blueberries or blackberries typically," Scott said.

A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of certain diseases including some cancers and heart disease.

Microalgae also contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids – nutrients that help cells in the body function properly. Some studies have shown omega-3s may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, blood clots and may help lower the risk of certain cancers.

Scott and the Ongen team discovered that some of the microalgae they were growing in Sudbury's tailings ponds were especially high in these beneficial compounds.

"I guess the stressful conditions that they're under at mine sites, they produce defence mechanisms and of course those defence mechanisms were finally useful for us," he said.

Ongen recently received a $106,000 grant from the provincial government, and matching funds from the federal government, to purchase equipment which will allow the team to better identify the different compounds found in its Sudbury-grown microalgae.

"Through the Ontario Research Fund, we are ensuring that the social and economic opportunities that result from discoveries made in Ontario benefit our people and our economy for years to come," Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said in a news release about the funding.

From critical minerals to breweries

The health benefits of microalgae aren't the only thing under Ongen's microscope.

The group is also testing how effective the micro-organisms are at capturing the metals found in tailings ponds. 

Capturing metals such as nickel and copper has an environmental benefit – removing them from the landscape – and an economic one as well. If mining companies can extract metals from their own waste, they can refine and smelt them for profit.

But Scott said his favourite project is a collaboration Ongen has with some breweries and wineries in southern Ontario.

With those partners, he said they are capturing carbon dioxide from the brewing process and using it to grow algae – reducing the waste that comes from that process.

Scott said in the future, the microalgae could possibly be re-introduced to the wine or beer so they would have high quantities of antioxidants.

Corey Laamanen, Ongen's deputy director, said he's most proud of the graduate students who have worked with Ongen.

"There's a lot of exciting science that's going on here," he said.

After graduation, every student who has worked for Ongen has found work with industry, continuing the research they started at Laurentian, noted Scott.

"One of the things I've always been keen on, not just here but in my previous locations or countries I've lived and worked in, is to actually have industry or commerce actively involved," Scott said.

"It obviously helps with funding, let's be honest, but it also helps with relevance… The students know that they are doing something that industry is actually supporting and very interested in."