Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have made a significant breakthrough in sustainable energy, demonstrating how nanotechnology can dramatically boost biofuel production from microalgae.
A study led by Dr. Hamidreza Sharifan, published in ACS Applied Bio Materials, found that exposing Chlorella vulgaris microalgae to controlled doses (30–50 mg/L) of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles increased their lipid content—essential for biofuel—from a baseline of 14% to as much as 48% of their mass, over triple the normal yield. This increase is attributed to a stress response in the microalgae, similar to how stress can cause lipid accumulation in humans.
The team also developed a new Biofuel Suitability Score (BSS), a framework to optimize biofuel production conditions by integrating multiple factors.
This research aims to address global energy challenges and offers a promising path for sustainable bioenergy solutions. The UTEP team plans to refine the process for large-scale viability and explore its application with other microalgae species, potentially using wastewater and saltwater environments.
The study was a collaboration with Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua and received support from UTEP’s U.S.-Mexico Collaboration Fellowship and a USDA grant.
KEY QUOTES:
“Sometimes when people are stressed, they gain weight or, in other words, accumulate more lipids. We found that a similar thing happens to the cells of the microalgae when we induce stress, in our case, by exposing them to zinc oxide nanoparticles, due to the effect of reactive oxygen species.”
Dr. Hamidreza Sharifan
“This research exemplifies the innovative work our scientists are doing to address global energy challenges. The team’s work significantly advances our understanding of sustainable bioenergy solutions, setting the stage for impactful environmental applications.”
Robert Kirken, Ph.D., dean of UTEP’s College of Science
