ExxonMobil and many other energy companies are investing
hundreds of millions of dollars to develop transportation biofuels from
renewable resources such as the oil or hydrocarbons produced by microalgae. As
global supplies of fossil fuels continue to shrink, biofuels derived from algae
represent one promising source of low-cost, scalable renewable energy. The
feasibility and economic projections for large-scale biofuels production from
microalgae are examined in a Review article and accompanying Commentary
published in Disruptive Science and Technology, a peer-reviewed journal from
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available on the
Disruptive Science and Technology website.
Microalgae are single-celled organisms that can be grown in
open ponds, tubes, or bags, with just sunlight and carbon dioxide, or in the
dark and fed sugars or starches. They can be genetically modified to optimize
their productivity.