UW Energy Future: May 18, 2010

Kane Hall 130, 6:30PM

The potential of micro-algae for the production of biofuels and bio-products

Stephen Mayfield

Director, San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, and Professor, Division of Biological Sciences U.C. San Diego

Energy can be changed from one form to another, but cannot be created or destroyed. Food and Fuel are simply two forms of chemical energy, and as such are interchangeable. Fuel and food are both derived from photosynthesis, the process by which radiant energy is converted to chemical energy. Eukaryotic algae offer tremendous potential for the large scale production of biofuels as algae require only sunlight as an energy source and sequester CO2 during the production of biomass, and algae can be much more efficient then terrestrial plants in fixing CO2 and producing biomass.  Lost in much of the energy debate is the fact that the fertilizers required for productive modern agriculture are derived from fossil fuels as well, and as fossil fuels become more expensive and limited, the costs of agriculture will rise while productivity declines. These factors have provided the impetus behind the development of new renewable energy sources that can supplant fossil fuels while greatly reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The use of micro-algae as a platform for the production of biofuels and bioproducts has significant potential as a source of new energy capture, given the ability of algae to be grown at very large scale in a cost effective manner with minimal inputs of fertilizers and potable water. Algae also offer the potential to realize large-scale production of food or fuel without competing for existing arable land, but significant challenges remain to bring algal biofuels to economic parity with fossil fuel. We are developing the tools for engineering of algal as a means to alter the accumulation of biofuel and bioproduct molecules, and have successfully introduce biosynthetic enzymes to modify hydrocarbon biosynthesis, as well as a variety of valuable protein co-products. The challenges and potential of algae as a source of biofuels and bioproducts will be discussed.