From http://public.ca.sandia.gov/podcast/episodes/200809/algae/
Algae is one of several potential fuel sources being looked at to help solve the global energy crisis. It is attractive on several fronts: It’s easy to produce, it can be grown in regions that aren’t used for food, and it doesn’t need to compete with the same water used in crop irrigation. Most important, algae is rich in oils that can be used in biodiesel production. An internally-funded project at Sandia, described here by molecular biologist Todd Lane, is addressing some of the technical challenges that researchers face in the effort to make algae a viable biofuel.