Seaweed farming has garnered increasing attention in the U.S. Due to its potential to serve as a renewable source of chemicals, fuels, and materials

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Connecticut $300,000 on February 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) to scale a kyphosus fish-derived microbiome for seaweed digestion in arrested anaerobic digestion (AAD) systems. The project aims to stabilize the microbiome in benchtop AAD systems and integrate advanced sensor-based monitoring systems to optimize the digestion process, with three key objectives: investigating conditions of seaweed digestion by fish microbiome, advancing volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and microbiota activity in batch-mode AAD through real-time in situ monitoring, and engineering the system for continuous VFA production. The converted VFAs can be upgraded into sustainable aviation fuel and bioplastics. Performance occurs in Storrs, Connecticut, with a period of performance from February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. The Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station serves as a sub-recipient on the award, conducting fish gut microbiome research for enhanced seaweed digestion in sustainable biorefineries.

Despite these benefits, challenges persist in efficiently deconstructing seaweed biomass and converting IT into valuable products. Anaerobic digestion (ad) offers a cost-effective solution by converting wet biomass into biogas (e.g., methane) and biochemicals under normal temperature and pressure. Arrested anaerobic digestion (AAD), in particular, halts methane production to produce valuable volatile fatty acids (vfas), which can be upgraded into products like sustainable aviation fuel and bioplastics. Thus, VFA production in AAD systems has immense potential of coverting wet biomass to liquid fuels. This seed project aims to scale a kyphosus fish-derived microbiome for seaweed digestion in AAD systems. The focus will be on stabilizing the microbiome in benchtop AAD systems and integrating advanced sensor-based monitoring systems to optimize the digestion process. The project is organized around three key objectives: (1) investigate the conditions of seaweed digestion by fish microbiome, (2) advance VFA production and microbiota activity in batch-mode AAD through real-time in situ monitoring, (3) engineer the system for continuous VFA production. This research has significant implications for industrial biorefineries, with the goal of converting seaweed into low-carbon bioproducts like biofuels, biomaterials, and biochemicals.