Michigan State researchers boost biofuel production from algae and fungus

In Michigan, Michigan State University scientists have found a solution to enhance oil production and harvest using what many consider sea sludge.

The new proof of concept, published in Biotechnology for Biofuels, is a biofuel production platform that uses two species of marine algae and soil fungi. It lowers cultivation and harvesting costs and increases productivity, factors that currently hold back biofuels from being widely adopted.

The species of alga, Nannochloropsis oceanica, and fungus, Mortierella elongata, both produce oils that can be harvested for human use; for example, they are components in products like biofuels that power cars, and in omega-3 fatty acids that benefit heart health.