A group of scientists have discovered a type of algae that can be selectively farmed and could help create a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. Algae are already used to produce a variety of products due to their ability to act as a biofactory, but doing so on a large scale remains a challenge.
Algae of the adapter
A new species of algae, Chlamydomonas pacifica, has the potential to Biodieselaccording to a study published in the journal bioRxrv. This species can also reproduce sexually, meaning it can be selectively bred and genetically modified. When genetically modified, C. pacifica “can produce oil even when grown in wastewater at temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F), at a pH above 11, in full sunlight and in fairly saline conditions,” said New scientistFor this reason, many scientists are interested in the Algae and hope to conduct a more thorough evaluation.
This is not the first time that algae has been considered as a fuel. “Algae are simple aquatic organisms that contain proteins, oils and carbohydrates that, when properly cultivated, can be used to produce a wide variety of products, including renewable biofuels, building materials and food ingredients,” said Forbes. In addition, “many of the natural resources we use today come from extremophile bacteria and algae from the distant past,” says New Scientist.
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These algae are also highly adaptable and “have the necessary internal mechanisms to produce complex molecules, so they require fewer genetic modifications and enable a more efficient bioproduction process,” says Forbes.
Scaling problems
Using genetic engineering, researchers were able to breed a version of C. pacifica that can be used as fuel. “The researchers inserted genes from soybeans that are known to increase fat production in other types of algae,” said New Scientist. “The result was an increase in fat content from 28% in the parent strain to 36% in the genetically modified version.” The resulting fat can be “converted into biodiesel or polyurethane, a type of plastic used in waterproof fabrics and many other applications.”
Algae are already used for a number of other purposes, including Pharmaceuticals. “A significant portion of all drug ingredients are plant-based, and there are significant cost savings to be had by using algae,” Mather Carscallen, CEO and founder of Algae-C, told Forbes. The organism is also used in food ingredients, animal feed, and bioplastic replacements. “Using algae saves time and money while reducing waste, land use, and water consumption.”
However, using algae to produce fuel and biodiesel remains a problem. “The big test will be whether (the algae) can be successfully grown on a large scale and survive in a large pond rather than a tank,” said New Scientist. The algae industry in general is still relatively new and growing and so is currently unable to meet global fuel demand.
The good news is that C. pacifica’s resilience to harsher conditions could enable faster and larger algae production. “Today, many algae companies operate as stand-alone companies,” Takanori Hoshino, chief executive of Chitose Laboratory Corp. in Japan, told Forbes. “The products they produce are limited to high-value applications such as pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals, but that will change.”
