Diatoms, tiny marine life forms that have been around since
the dinosaurs, could finally make biofuel production from algae truly
cost-effective – because they can simultaneously produce other valuable
products such as semiconductors, biomedical products and even health foods.
Engineers at Oregon State University concede that such
technology is pushing the envelope a bit. But it’s not science fiction – many
of the needed advances have already been made, and the National Science
Foundation just provided a four-year, $2 million grant to help make it a
working reality.