The University of Kentucky (UK) has teamed with the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (UD-CEOE) and ALGIX LLC to develop a cost-effective, biological carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion process that can convert CO2 from coal-fired flue gas to value-added products. The research team will focus on microalgae-based CO2 capture with conversion of the resulting algal biomass to fuels and bioplastics. Scenedesmus acutus algae will be autotrophically cultured in an innovative cyclic flow photobioreactor. The algae will be harvested and dewatered using previously developed UK technology based on flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration. Engineering and biology-based approaches will be employed to decrease costs, while a sustainable utilization strategy will be developed for the algal biomass produced. The project will specifically address three main areas: (1) critical commercial-scale development barriers such as flue gas introduction, dewatering, and culture maintenance; (2) development of large-scale applications for the produced biomass while maximizing the potential revenue stream; and (3) assessment of the economics of this approach to CO2 capture and recycle. The project objectives are to optimize UK’s current technology, particularly with regard to harvesting and dewatering operations; develop strategies to monitor and maintain algae culture health; and develop a biomass utilization strategy which simultaneously produces lipid feedstock for direct upgrading to fuels and a proteinaceous feedstock for the production of algal-based bioplastics, thereby maximizing the value of the algal biomass. Techno-economic analyses to calculate the cost of CO2 capture and recycle using this approach, and life cycle analyses to evaluate the emission reduction potential will be completed.