EU Project to Explore Sea Microalgae for Biofuels

A European Union-funded international project led by the University of Aberdeen, Scotland will study microscopic algae that live in oceans and seas as potential biofuel sources within the next four years.

Dubbed as the AccliPhot Project with participation of 12 partners across Europe, this multidisciplinary endeavor will look into the mechanisms by which marine microalgae respond to changes in light and other conditions, and use that information to make new products, especifically biofuels. Turning to marine microalgae as biofuel source will not harm the water and land resources for agricultural use since the vast ocean around us can be readily used to grow them. Microalgae can be grown for large scale production in huge water tanks called photo-bioreactors supplied with carbon dioxide, light and some minerals. Cultivating them in a manner that does not compete for valuable agricultural resources could contribute significantly to sustainable way of meeting the future energy demand.