Shepherd Harvester Technology Transforming Toxic Algae into Useful Products
Shepherd Harvester TechnologyTransforming Toxic Algae into Useful Products
Both freshwater and marine Harmful Algal Blooms generally involve algae and cyanobacteria that produce toxins that may pose significant health threats to humans, livestock, fisheries, wildlife, and pets. Our Shepherd Harvester Technology enables the removal of these HAB species from aquatic ecosystems and allows for innovative scientific research to examine beneficial uses to these HABs. For example, one of the current EPA Approved mosquito control pesticides, which is safe to use in marine and estuarine ecosystems is a bacterial toxin - Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (BTI). BTI toxin only adversely affects animals with a basic pH in their gut or blood-sucking insects, such as mosquitoes. Our current research will focus on evaluating the potential for development of other biologically based products derived from a variety of HAB toxins that can be used safely in a variety of environmental applications. Other beneficial products produced from HABs may include biofuels, omega 3 lipids and other biological products.
