Biofuel Development

Biofuel Breakthroughs

Algae Fuel Analysis

Arizona's universities not only make breakthroughs in the biotechnical field, but use experimental agriculture to farm solutions to the global energy crisis.

Right now, researchers are working with three promising sources of biofuel: sorghum, algae, and cyanobacteria.

A low-water crop that resembles sugarcane, sorghum can produce ethanol at a much higher volume per acre than corn. Algae and cyanobacteria both produce lipids that can be converted to energy.

Though these endeavors are just beginning to be commercially viable, interest is high and research is well worth the investment. Experts agree that these will all become viable energy sources in a few short years and are expected to provide an alternative to fossil fuels.

For this, Arizona provides the perfect test laboratory. All three crops grow well in Arizona's warm, sunny climate. Find out how these crops are raised in test fields or watch the videos below to discover how Arizona's universities are leaders in the biofuel experiment.

Biofuel Development Videos

Sweet Sorgum Professor Don Slack discusses alternative fuel research at the University of Arizona. The university has taken a different approach to biofuel development in the production of more conventional crops. In one project, the drought-tolerant crop sweet sorghum is grown to produce ethanol.
Introduction to Tubes in the Desert Biofuels are becoming a vital part of the renewable energy revolution. Promising sources of biofuels- biodiesel and ethynols—are algae andcyanobacteria. Arizona’s warm, sunny climate makes it the perfect location to incubate these fast-growing life forms. Though this type of fuel is in the very early stages of commercial viability, experts expect breakthroughs in the near future. As with biotechnical advances, state universities have taken a lead on researching this new technology.
Sustainable Algal Biofuels Consortium (SABC) Milton Sommerfeld explains why algae are a potential source of alternative fuel. This research collective evaluates the conversion of algal biomass into of lipid-based and carbohydrate-based alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. Arizona State University and University of Arizona are both members of the SABC. A $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy has been supplemented by $4 million in grants and matching funds from the State of Arizona.
Cyanobacteria for Solar-Powered Biofuels Willem Vermaas, professor at Arizona State University, uses cyanobacteria to convert light and CO2 into fuels. The ultimate purpose is to be able to convert solar energy into fuel for transportation to reduce CO2 emissions. Cyanobacteria are a group of very versatile and ancient organisms that can grow under a large range of conditions. Cyanobacteria have a photosynthetic system nearly identical to plants. The Vermaas team at ASU is currently involved in a transformative research effort to develop strains of Synechocystis that can produce and secrete products for use as renewable raw materials for the biofuels and bioplastics industries. This revolutionary new technology is being funded by a grant from a branch of the US Department of Energy, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
Algae Energy The Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology explores algae biofuels. Milton Sommerfeld describes the process of converting algae. The Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI), (Grand opening February 21, 2012) located at ASU's Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, serves as a hub for research, testing, and commercialization of algae-based products. These include biofuels, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and other algae biomass coproducts.