Three new research centers as algae continues to bloom, and one (sort of) new film

Three new algae research institutes have been founded, and algae fuel has become the focus of the revised version of the celebrated “Fields of Fuel” documentary film. But a report on accelerated oxidation and gum formation in engines should temper enthusiasm, as we round up the latest in algal fuel news.

Among the three new research centers are the Midwest Research Institute in Missouri, focused on the practical issues of process engineering, and life cycle cost analysis in algae production. The Center for Integrated Algal Research focuses on optimizing algae strains for biofuel production and CO2 remediation. In India, algal research is progressing in developing algae as a nutraceutical ingredient, targeting $500 per gallon omega-3 oils instead of the $3 per gallon fuel market.

Meanwhile, the documentary film “Fields of Fuel” has been reedited and re-cut to focus on non-food feedstocks, with a particular focus on algae. The new film, now known as “Fuel”, was reviewed in Grist, here.

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