Brooklyn and Biofuels

Juergen Polle and his group of researchers and students have been selecting strains of algae for their potential to produce biofuels. Dr. Polle is on sabbatical in San Diego, and the news is that Brooklyn College has joined a consortium called the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, or SD-CAB. To those 'in the know' biofuels from microscopic algae have a much greater potential than from other sources. For example, algae typically produce substances that are much better fuel sources than is corn-based ethanol. Moreover, unlike corn, algae don't compete with other uses, either as food or for agricultural space. Algae can be grown in areas unsuitable for agriculture. Finally, algae have a much much higher yield of fuels than other crops. Dr. Polle's lab in AREAC is currently involved in selecting strains of algae that have potential for producing biofuels. We now use the micro-organism E. coli to produce insulin and various vitamins on an industrial scale. The same kind of process is now being envisioned for another kind of micro-organism, the kind that photosynthesizes fatty acids that can be used for to fuel our energy dependence in a carbon-neutral way.