Can Algae-Derived Oils Support Large-Scale, Low-Cost Biofuels Production?

As global supplies of fossil fuels continue to shrink, biofuels derived from algae represent one promising source of low-cost, scalable renewable energy.

The feasibility and economic projections for large-scale biofuels production from microalgae are examined in a Review article and accompanying Commentary published in Disruptive Science and Technology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available on the Disruptive Science and Technology website.

Microalgae are single-celled organisms that can be grown in open ponds, tubes, or bags, with just sunlight and carbon dioxide, or in the dark and fed sugars or starches. They can be genetically modified to optimize their productivity.
John Benemann, Ian Woertz, and Tryg Lundquist, MicroBio Engineering, Inc. (Walnut Creek, CA) and California State Polytechnic University (San Luis Obispo, CA), present the results of an engineering and economic study of vegetable oil production from microalgae grown in open ponds. In the Review article “Life Cycle Assessment for Microalgae Oil Production” the authors also project the energy input and greenhouse gas emissions required to carry out this process at large scale.

In the Commentary entitled “An Introduction to Photosynthetic Microalgae,” Melissa Stark and Ian O’Gara, Accenture, compare algae culture to agriculture and state that for biofuel applications, algae is relatively high risk compared to other technologies and will require “long-term commitment to achieve commercial scale.” Algae had “high yield potential” and it “could add significantly to potential biofuel resources.”

“As the planet moves inexorably toward populations in excess of 10 billion people, we must find new ways of generating food and fuel,” says Editor-in-Chief Alan J. Russell, PhD, Highmark Distinguished Professor, Carnegie Mellon University. “These are national security issues for all countries, as well as moral imperatives. Benemann et al.’s paper on microalgae oil production, and the related commentary by Melissa Stark and Ian O’Gara, point to a sustainable future using this technology.”

About the Journal
Disruptive Science and Technology, a breakthrough, highly innovative, peer-reviewed journal spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Alan J. Russell, PhD, Highmark Distinguished Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, cultivates, harnesses, and explores how existing paradigms can be changed to improve human health, well-being, and productivity. The Journal provides a multimedia platform and forum for ideas and opportunities, promotes breakthrough science and engineering, facilitates the innovator-market relationship, and accelerates the transition from bench to society. Bold, transparent, and resistant to limitations driven by protection of the science and engineering status quo, Disruptive Science and Technology provides the first destination for those seeking to publish game-changing results that have the capacity to alter the way we live. For complete journal details, please visit the Disruptive Science and Technology website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Human Gene Therapy, and Rejuvenation Research. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 70 journals, newsmagazines, and books is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.