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Dr. B. Greg Mitchell
is a Research Biologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of California San
Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(SIO). Dr. Mitchell received his Bachelor
of Science degree with Honors in Aquatic Biology and Special Honors in Botany
from the University of Texas at Austin. At the University of Texas
he carried out his Honors research project with Dr. Richard Starr, founder of
the UTEX algae collection, and Dr. Harold Bold, the leading pioneer of algae
research. In 1987 he received his PhD in Biological Oceanography from the University of Southern California under the
advisement of Dr. Dale Kiefer, with a focus on physiological ecology of algae
as related to absorption, fluorescence and aquatic optics. After a year as a Postdoctoral Scholar at
SIO he joined the permanent staff as a Research Biologist. From 1990-1992 Dr. Mitchell served the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as Program Manager for
the Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program and as Program Scientist for NASA’s
SeaWiFS and MODIS ocean color satellite missions. His research on
phytoplankton photosynthesis and growth models, aquatic ecology, ocean optics
and satellite remote sensing has been sponsored by NASA, the Office of Naval
Research, the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. As the
leader of the Scripps Photobiology Group, his present research focuses on use
of satellites to monitor change in global ocean ecosystems, including the
impact of the El Nino Southern Oscillation on the California Current, and
future changes in the primary production of the Antarctic
Ocean caused by glacial melt associated with climate change. For more than 2 decades he has promoted mass
culture of algae to mitigate CO2 and wastewater nutrient loading, and to
create biomass for fuel and animal feed.
Applied research currently focuses on optimization of yields of
bioenergy molecules in the light-temperature-nutrient matrix that regulates
algae growth, numerical modeling of algae yield optimization and design of
closed and open photobioreactors that optimize yields. Dr. Mitchell has
published more than 65 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and more
than 150 conference proceedings or abstracts for national and international
scientific meetings. He serves on the
Board of Directors of the Houston Advanced Research
Center, the Algal Biomass
Organization, and the San Diego
Center for Algal
Biotechnology. More details can be
found here: www.spg.ucsd.edu.
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