Aquatic species program

Technical Report · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5232049· OSTI ID:5232049

Bollmeier, W S; Sprague, S

Researchers have learned that many species of aquatic microalgae produce lipids, or oils, when stimulated by environmental stress. These oils can then be processed into diesel fuel or gasoline. Scientists in the Department of Energy (DOE)/Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) Aquatics Species Program have collected and screened more than 3,000 strains of microalgae from desert and saline environments. The most promising of these strains are maintained in a culture collection at SERI, and research is now focusing on applying genetic techniques to enhance lipid production of microalgae. Researchers are also studying ways to optimize microalgae lipid production by growing the microalgae in intensive cultures of large outdoor ponds. Because microalgae require large amounts of carbon dioxide as a nutrient, these microalgae facilities could be coupled with a power plant or other source of carbon dioxide. Thus, this technology offers not only the potential of producing renewable liquid fuels, but a possible way to improve the environment at the same time. 135 refs., 25 figs., 29 tabs.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst. (SERI), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 5232049
• Report Number(s): SERI/SP-231-3579; ON: DE89009472
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
BIOCHEMISTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DESIGN
GENETIC ENGINEERING
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
LEADING ABSTRACT
LIPIDS
PROGRESS REPORT
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ABSTRACTS
CHEMISTRY
DOCUMENT TYPES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems
540310 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)