Responding to America’s growing dependence on gasoline, the search for alternative energy has become an increasingly hot ‘mdash; and pressing ‘mdash; topic in both the laboratoy and the newsroom. What most of us don’t yet know, however, is that the very green, slimy plants we so ofen disregard on our local shores could very well provide the fuel for all the endangered road trips, plane rides and bus fares of the future. Scientists at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as biologists at the main campus, are currently taking new interest in algae as the most promising of alternative transportation fuels.
Algae, like all plants, uses the process of photosynthesis to absorb light energy, thus assimilating nutrients and absorbing carbon dioxide in order to produce biomass ‘mdash; up to 50 percent of the biomass resulting from this process is comprised of vegetable oil, which can, theoretically be refined into an alternative transportation fuel for our cars, buses and motorcycles.
Research biologist Dr. Greg Mitchell, who has’ ‘ been working closely with algae in his studies at Scripps, explains that unlike most terrestrial plants, algae has the ability to yield a much higher quantity of oil, with 50 to 60 percent of its total weight composed of stored oil droplets. ‘ ‘If humans need plant biomass, and we certainly do, algae is the most efficient organism in time and space,’ Mitchell said. ‘Algae can easily produce 10 to 50 times more gallons of oil per year than terrestrial plants.’
The low maintenance conditions needed for the growth of algae lend it another advantage in the all-important efficienc
y department. Unlike terrestrial plants, algae doesn’t need fresh water to grow, and can instead be grown in salt water on poor quality, nonarable land. Additionally, after its oil content is utilized, the remaining plant residue can be used to feed agricultural animals, freeing up land dedicated to livestock grazing.
In order to expand the farming of algae into a mainstream project outdoors, on-land growth systems will need to be established on a much larger scale.
‘Thirty million acres would be enough to produce all of the transportation fuels we need and feed all of the pigs and chickens,’ Mitchell said. ‘It’s super compelling, and humans ought to do it. I think we could be on the path for massive scale within 10 years if society makes the commitment.’
And, indeed, 2009 started off with algae on the brain: Continental Airlines became the first U.S. commercial carrier to run a test flight powered partly by alternative fuels ‘mdash; more specifically, biofuel derived in large part from algae. The Jan. 7 flight lasted approximately one hour and forty-five minutes, departing from Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport and travelling over the Gulf of Mexico in what was reported as a perfectly smooth flight.’
Back in San Diego, there has been a strong collective push to bring algae into the public spotlight. Mitchell said that the UCSD biology department and Dean Steve Kay ‘mdash; as well as the Scripps Research Institute’s Steve Mayfield ‘mdash; are planning to establish the San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology in the coming months.
‘UCSD is in a position of leadership in discovery,’ Mitchell said. ‘That’s where discovery happens on the biology side. We are partnering internationally and nationally to make sure that the San Diego region is a leader in taking things to the next scale.’
Graduate student Cameron’ Coates, who has been researching’ ‘ ‘ algae in Dr. William Gerwick’s lab for three years now, is working to increase the lipid, or oil, yields produced by algae, as well as to’ develop a high-value products, such as pharmaceutical drugs, from the other portion of the algae.
Since the process of growing algae is somewhat expensive, a commercial development could be the key to offsetting the cost, making a possible drug that could be sold alongside the oil. ‘Algae can provide a lot more than just fuel to our society, which makes it a reasonable area to pursue and research,’ Coates said. ‘I think we have a lot of opportunity for renewable energy, we can get around our need for high-density liquid fuels, and the most sustainable way is algae.’
Coates, who said that San Diego is the center for algae biofuel research in the country, credited algae biochemist Ralph Lewin as the pioneer for this type of research at UCSD. Lewin carried out the first government sponsored project to develop biofuel from algae in the 1980s; and though the scientist passed away last November, the legacy of his research and accomplishments in the field are taking on a new life at Scripps and UCSD.
In the effort toward making algae as an institutionalized source of energy, Mitchell said that there is still much work to be done. In order to make algae a realistic option for national transportational fuel, the costs associated with growing the plant in mass must be lowered.
Revelle College senior Nathan Wright is concerned that biofuel from algae may involve more money than the average college student would be able to fork over.
‘It’s a good idea, and that’d be great,’ Wright said. ‘But if it’s more expensive, it won’t really fit in with the college budget.’
Eleanor Roosevelt College sophomore Kasuni Kotelawala, on the other hand, said that using algae as an alternative transportation fuel would give both our society and environment a much needed dose of healthy medicine.
‘I think it’s essential right now that society starts focusing its attention on finding alternative resources,’ Kotelawala said. ‘Because global warming is such a huge issue right now, using something natural like algae, could really cut down on pollution and harmful greenhouse gases.’
Despite ongoing research, algae as a source of alternative transportation fuel is more and more likely to become a definite option for the future, and new studies bring us closer each day.
‘If we can get humans to the moon, I’m confident we can do this,’ Mitchell said.
Readers can contact Danielle Crawford at [email protected].