You can thank algae for using the power of photosynthesis to transform Earth's previously inhospitable atmosphere into one that could support modern life!
May 13, 2009
Algae Bio Fuel
Algae may be slimy and it may be icky, It may make cleaning your fish tank tricky, But remember that pond scum is a life long friend, Here to bring our oil dependence to an end.
Would the Real Slimy Shady Please Stand Up!
From the small patches of green algae growing on the glass of your fish tank to magnificent kelp forests, algae is a diverse and distinct group of autotrophic organisms that use light energy from the sun to create important organic compounds such as carbohydrates. Utilizing this knowledge, scientists have created novel approaches and techniques to use algae as a viable biofuel. By capturing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, algae has the distinct ability to produce high quality, environmentally friendly oils and feed stocks. Three U.S. companies leading the pond scum power revolution are Solazyme, GreenFuel Technologies, and PetroAlgae.
Solazyme (San Francisco, CA) - Solazyme is a synthetic biology company that unleashes the power of marine microbes to produce biofuel. The fuel's chemical composition is identical to that of any standard petroleum based diesel and is fully compatible with the existing transportation fuel infrastructure.
GreenFuel Technologies (Cambridge, MA) - GreenFuel Technologies have developed high yield algae farms that recycle carbon dioxide from flue (exhaust) gases to produce biofuels and feed.
PetroAlgae (Melbourne, FL) - PetroAlgae is a company that specializes in the commercialization of advanced technologies used to produce oil and animal feed from algae. The remarkable process that they use to produce their biofuel has resulted in a scalable substitute for petroleum oil that also creates a renewable, eco-friendly, carbon neutral feedstock source.
