What a future algae-powered filling station might look like
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How to Make Fuel From Algae
Photo by Matt Stubbington
As the colonies mature, starve them of nitrogen [2]. The cells react to the low nutrient supply by entering survival mode and producing extra fats. When they´ve created enough fat, collect the cells and break them apart [3]. Filter out the large organelles and cell membranes, and then use solvents like methanol to separate out the fats from the water-soluble proteins and sugars [4]. Purify the collected fats, and evaporate the solvent [5]. Finally, put the fats in a chemical reactor to transform them into biodiesel (a process called transesterification) [6].