Although algae may seem like insignificant patches of green, these crucial organisms are responsible for 70-80 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere (1). Algae are photosynthetic organisms, meaning they use sunlight to create energy and is actually a large group of chlorophyll containing organisms that range from being unicellular to multicellular (2). 

Due to the advancements that humans have made over the centuries, algae now has a use beyond just creating the world’s oxygen. As there are thousands of different strains, algae has made its way into the pharmaceutical business due to its different properties. For instance, many strong antioxidants have been found in algae such as polyphenols and phycobiliproteins, which play a role in the fight against certain diseases. There are many other useful chemicals that algae contain including carragren, galactan, alginate, nostaflan, and fucan. Serving as a biofuel is another use for algae. Their potential for a biofuel was seen because of their ability to reproduce fast and a high oil content with many having a 20-50 percent oil dry weight (3). Much of this oil comes in the form of triacylglycerol, which is optimal for producing biodiesel. Currently, this is not being used as a large alternative to fossil fuels because its production is still far more expensive. 

The production of biofuel from algae starts in the ponds where algae is cultivated. Then through the process of solvent extraction, the oil is harvested and undergoes further processing into biodiesel. Due to the expensive production, ranging from 240 to 332 dollars per barrel, it is not yet a reliable alternative to fossil fuels. Recent and ongoing research is being done to find a way past this barrier. One researcher found a more efficient method of biodiesel production than the well used solid-liquid separation. They found that a Combined Algal Processing approach using ethanol fermentation reduced costs by 9 percent. Another study went through extensive experimentation to identify the optimal conditions for high concentrations of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in two different strains: Chlorella and Scenedesmus. These examples of development in biofuel production from algae is only a few out of the many things scientists are discovering. 

In a time where the threat of carbon emissions is becoming more concerning, it is possible to rely on the organism that gives the planet life once again as an alternative to fossil fuels. This is only possible through research and discovery of more methods of biofuel production. 

Works Cited

Hall, Dr. Jack. “The Most Important Organism”. ecology.com/2011/09/12/important-organism/. September 12th, 2011. 
Guiry, Michael. “Algae”.
eol.org/docs/discover/algae.

Farm-energy. “Algae for Biofuel Production”.
farm-energy.extension.org/algae-for-biofuel-production/. April 3rd, 2019.

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Energy 101: Algae-to-Fuel”. energy.gov/eere/videos/energy-101-algae-fuel. 
R. Davis. “Acid-catalyzed algal biomass pretreatment for integrated lipid and carbohydrate-based biofuels production”.
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/GC/C4GC01612B#!divAbstract. November 12th, 2014.

Tao Dong. “Combined algal processing: A novel integrated biorefinery process to produce algal biofuels and bioproducts”.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211926415301351?via%3Dihub. November, 2016.