The SequestStar vision is to develop an economically viable biomanufacturing process that captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The SequestStar process uses specialized microalgae to strip carbon dioxide from the air and calcium from brine (concentrated salt water) to form calcium carbonate. Precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) is an economically valuable product used in multiple industries including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, paper, plastics, and building materials. SequestStar will support these industries by providing alternative sources for PCC. In addition, the SequestStar microalgae create compounds that are valuable for human health, enhancing the economic viability of the process and public well-being. This project also will contribute to national water security by using waste brine produced by desalination drinking water plants – transforming the waste streams of these plants into a source of economically valuable products. Using SequestStar PCC in concrete for coral and oyster habitat restoration could provide new materials needed to help counteract ecosystem degradation and species extinction. This Convergence Accelerator program will significantly advance the SequestStar technology down the path toward commercialization. The SequestStar process is inspired by whiting events in lakes during which precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) forms when the pH of the water rises in response to microalgal growth. By mimicking the geochemistry of whiting ev