Ancient Protein May be Key to Unlocking Potential of Algae Biofuels

In a discovery that should help sustainable algae biofuels make the leap from an exotic curiosity to a mainstream fuel, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have identified an ancient protein that helps keep green algae from imbibing too much sunlight during photosynthesis.

The protein, called LHCSR, is a molecular self-regulator that protects algae from a damaging overdose of sun. With a better understanding of how the protein functions, it may be possible to engineer strains of algae that can be grown economically in artificial photosynthesis systems, providing more stability and efficiency than an open pond without the expense of a bioreactor.

Algae and Photosynthesis

Algae are loosely referred to as aquatic plants but in fact they have a unique protein mechanism for photosynthesis, which branched off from a common ancestor long ago (hence the moniker “ancient protein”). In plants the process involves two proteins. In algae only the LHCSR protein is involved. It appears to sense when an overdose of light is imminent, and shifts into a dissipation mode that safely drains excess energy away.

The Next Step for Algae Biofuels

Aside from devising a more cost-efficient way to grow algae, there is at least one other significant hurdle to overcome before algae biofuel can become a mainstream, mass-marketed sustainable product, and that is reducing the amount of water lost to evaporation during algae growth.  It was a big topic at this year’s Alage Biofuels World Summit. Nevertheless, a number of algae biofuel projects are forging ahead, including a DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) algae jet fuel project for the Navy and Air Force.

Image: Green algae by Lee Nachtigal on flickr.com.

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