Norway Eyes Cellulose-Producing Marine Organisms as Biofuel Source

Norwegian scientists are studying the tiny marine organisms known as tunicates as a potential source of cellulose, the raw material for making bioethanol.

Tunicates are marine filter feeders with soft and slimy tubular body structures. They feed by sucking in ocean water and eating the bacteria and other organisms in it before expelling it back out. Tunicates are special because apart from being rich in omega-3, they are the only animals that produce cellulose, which when broken down into simple sugars can be fermented into ethanol. The cellulose produced by tunicates would be an attractive raw material for biofuels because it does not contain the tough lignin molecule that is a known hindrance in lignocellulosic ethanol production.

Looking at tunicates as potential source of raw material to produce biofuels, researchers at the University of Bergen and Uni Research have set up a small scale production that resembles the cultivation method for mussels. They used plastic sheets attached to the seabed where tunicates could attach themselves and feed on the microorganisms that flow by. The expected yield is about 220 to 440 pounds per square metre, which is an extremely high yield. Since tunicates are 95 percent water, the researchers were prompted to develop more efficient techniques to remove water from the animals' bodies after harvesting.

With support from the Research Council of Norway, the researchers now plan to scale up quickly, with the project running through 2014.