We can all thank algae for the air we breathe. These amazing — and amazingly prolific — photosynthetic microorganisms began pumping oxygen into Earth’s atmosphere more than a billion years ago. In the process, algae absorbed carbon dioxide. That simple exchange enabled nearly all life on Earth.
Not bad for a group of species anchoring the base of the food chain. Incredibly diverse and abundant around the globe, algae photosynthesize about half the oxygen we breathe. They just need a watery home, sunshine, CO2 and a few minerals to grow — rapidly.
Algae’s appetite for CO2 and their remarkable ability to produce oil might soon have us saying thanks again. A new research project led by Los Alamos National Laboratory seeks to drive algal biofuels to marketability, decreasing our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels and putting the brakes on global warming.