AgriLife scientists do groundwork for genetic mapping of algae biofuel species

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1806

March 11, 2010

AgriLife scientists do groundwork for genetic mapping of algae biofuel species

Botryococcus braunii algae contributed to existing petroleum deposits

By: Robert Burns, 903-834-6191
Contact(s): Dr. Timothy Devarenne, 979-862-6509, [e-mail]

COLLEGE STATION - - Using green algae to produce hydrocarbon oil for biofuel production is nothing new; nature has been doing so for hundreds of millions of years, according a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.

“Oils from the green algae Botryococcus braunii can be readily detected in petroleum deposits and coal deposits suggesting that B. braunii has been a contributor to developing these deposits and may be the major contributor,” said Dr. Timothy Devarenne, AgriLife Research scientist with the Texas A&M University department of biochemistry and biophysics. “This means that we are already using these oils to produce gasoline from petroleum.”

It’s not just a gee-whiz science trivia, Devarenne said. B. braunii is a prime candidate for biofuel production because some races of the green algae typically "accumulate hydrocarbons from to 30 percent to 40 percent of their dry weight, and are capable of obtaining hydrocarbon contents up to 86 percent of their dry weight.

"As a group, algae may be the only photosynthetic organism capable of producing enough biofuel to meet transportation fuel demands."

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