Researchers Say Marine Algae Could Make Biofuels

Saltwater algae can be genetically engineered to produce biofuels as well as modified freshwater algae do, according to biologists at the University of California San Diego.

Prof. Stephen Mayfield, who headed the research, says the breakthrough could significantly expand the type of environments in which algae can be grown for biofuels. Among them: brackish tidelands and land whose salt content is too high to be used for farming.

The researchers modified marine algae to produce five kinds of industrial enzymes. They say the same technique can be used to boost the yield of biofuels from such algae. The team worked with an species called Dunaliella tertiolecta, which has a high oil content and can grow quickly in a broad range of acidic and salty environments.

The group reports its results HERE in the current issue of Algal Research.