#186: Rethinking Carbon Capture Using Microalgae With Syklea

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Paul-Alexandre Jones, co-founder and US Managing Director of Syklea, about how microalgae could transform carbon capture for heavy industry, manufacturing, and AI data centers. While many climate solutions focus on preventing carbon emissions, biological carbon capture offers a different approach by using microalgae to absorb carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere. Paul explains how Syklea’s proprietary no-water technology is designed to overcome some of the biggest barriers to scaling algae-based carbon capture, including water consumption, contamination, and operating costs. The conversation explores carbon capture technology, industrial decarbonization, carbon utilization, biotechnology, and how biological systems could help reduce emissions while creating valuable new resources from captured CO₂.

Key Points:

• Microalgae are among nature's most effective carbon capture systems – These microscopic organisms naturally absorb carbon and have the potential to help industries reduce emissions while producing valuable biomass and other sustainable products.
• Scaling biological carbon capture requires new technology – Syklea is developing a no-water cultivation platform designed to reduce energy consumption, minimize contamination, and make algae-based carbon capture more practical for industrial facilities and large-scale deployment.
• Carbon dioxide can become a valuable resource rather than a waste product – Instead of treating CO₂ solely as an emission to be stored underground, biological carbon capture could enable industries to convert captured CO₂ into useful materials while supporting decarbonization efforts across sectors.

• Paul-Alexandre Jones, co-founder and US Managing Director of Syklea, LinkedIn

• Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…

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