They are regarded as one of the keystones in the aquatic food chain being the major food of fish, suppliers of oxygen to the aquatic world, a source of fertilizer and also used as stabilizer in food, cosmetics and paints. Yeah, you got it right! That substance you dissolve in boiling water, mixed with sugar, milk and food color and molded into yummy gelatin dessert is the same material from which the latest biodiesel-fuel was derived. Algae, that is.
Just two days ago, the first algae-derived biodiesel fuel, produced by Solazyme Incorporated, a synthetic biology company that unleashes the power of aquatic microbes in providing clean and cheap solutions for biofuel, industrial chemical, health and wellness markets, has undergone its first road test and had successfully powered a factory-standard automobile. Maybe, one with an Acura Integra steering rack. Under usual driving conditions, the fuel can enable any vehicle to run even long distances. Clean, renewable, environmentally sustainable and scalable. Those are some of the best qualities of soladiesel biodiesel.
Using standard industrial fermentation equipment, Solazyme's soladiesel biodiesel was yielded from manufactured algal oil thus producing a biodegradable and nontoxic biofuel.
"Biodiesel from algae changes the landscape of renewable fuels," Solazyme Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Wolfson said. He added, "The concept of algal biofuel has been discussed for decades, and Solazyme's technology finally provides a scalable solution based on proven industrial processes. This fuel is just the first example of how algal oil will help the environment through new products that offer attractive economics and performance, as well as environmental benefits."
Solazyme has currently signed an agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A Incorporated, a leading refiner and manufacturer of gasoline.