Algae Biofuels Project Advances from Lab to Greenhouse

The oil and gas company Exxon Mobil Corporation and Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI) opened today a greenhouse to provide more real-life conditions in their algae biofuels program. The facility is located on the SGI campus in La Jolla, California. SGI specializes in commercial applications of genomic research.

SGI and Exxon Mobil researchers are using the greenhouse to test whether large-scale quantities of affordable fuel can be produced from algae. They plan to evaluate various algae, including both natural and engineered strains (see photo), under a wide range of conditions, including varying temperatures, light levels and nutrient concentrations. The researchers will also investigate other aspects of the algae fuel production process, including harvesting and bio-oil recovery.

The next stage in the project is an outdoor test facility, expected to open in mid-2011. If progress stays on track, Exxon Mobil says it expects to spend more than $600 million on the algae biofuels program over the next decade, $300 million of which will be allocated to SGI.

Photo: Business Wire