Chemists Develop New Technology that Detects Algae Crop Health

Volatile gas phase measurements signal when algae grown for sustainable products-and potentially other valued sources-are being threatened. Trained dogs are well known to use their acute sense of smell to identify explosives, contraband and even certain types of disease. Being able to automate such detection skills could be useful in a range of settings, from airports to public buildings. Now, University of California San Diego chemists have developed a technology for monitoring the health of algae crops, one of world's most promising sources for sustainable products being developed to counter global issues stemming from fossil fuel pollutants and product waste. As described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , a diverse group of researchers—from undergraduates to senior faculty—has collaborated in a Departmnt of Energy project to develop a real-time measurement technique that could save hundreds of millions of dollars in algae biomass losses. From new biologically based fuels that power vehicles to renewable plastics based on biodegradable polymers that eliminate waste in the oceans and overloaded landfills, algae are considered a key to a future of sustainable products. "In order to have enough algae to supply all of these renewable materials—biofuels, bioplastics and nutraceuticals—we need to find ways to increase algae production and yield," said Robert Pomeroy, the PNAS paper's senior author, of UC San Diego's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.