BIOMASS HUB

Genetically stacking traits in corn in order to increase production, resist insects, improve standablity, and many other characteristics is common in agriculture.  Similarly, genetic modification has the potential to create super strains of algae capable of ramping up biofuel production to meet growing demand.  The challenge so far has been finding the most productive pathways to grow algae.

With the help of a $4.37 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, researches at Iowa State University intend to develop a micro-algal platform that will allow microalgae to be treated as a crop.

According to Martin Spalding, the Iowa State professor leading the project:

We have a sequenced genome, we understand the metabolism, and we have the tools available to us to work with this algae.

Much of the current research on algae is being conducted on wild strains that have certain desirable traits such as high oil yield.  Since the Chlamydomonas genome is already mapped, however, work can be done to tailor the genetic makeup of this alga to meet the growing biofuel industry’s needs.

Rather than look for an alga that produces trait ‘x’ or ‘y’ and then trying to adapt each new strain to production, which is a very difficult process, we are manipulating Chlamydomonas to meet ‘x’ and ‘y.  The limitation with that strategy is that it has no flexibility because the algae can’t be manipulated genetically.  Our project will probably lead to increased production of basically vegetable oil that can be converted to biodiesel.  Using the same process we are using to increase that oil production, we also could divert the production into hydrocarbons, which are closer to petroleum.

Learn more about algae biofuel.