Exxon investing in Algae

A couple of days ago we posted an article on Broken Beaker about algae possibly being an alternative source for jet fuel. Well apparently, Exxon Mobil thinks that algae derived Bio fuels could be a thing of the future, because today they announced they have $300 million dollar deal with Synthetic Genomics. What does Synthetic Genomics do? Their goal is to start looking for a genetically modified species of algae that will be able to produce commercially viable quantities of fuel. Whenever Exxon Mobil throws money at a "green energy alternative", that's a big deal. Read the article here! [Link]

Algae powered F22 raptors...coming soon?

An article over at MSNBC talks about the future of Biofuels, and algae could be powering military vehicles soon. A Utah university is growing algae in huge batches to see if the lipid excreting creatures can make a suitable replacement for gasoline, which is problematic for many reasons (supply is limited, and as we saw last summer the price of gasoline can skyrocket). So far, results are promising, and blends of algae and gasoline have even been used in commercial jets! Could this be the start of a new industry? [Article]