Funded by a three-year SPIRT (Strategic Partnership with Industry, Research and Training) grant with Rio Tinto, Associate Professor Michael Borowitzka is designing the ultimate carbon sink.

“Intensive algae cultures are ten to 100 times more effective than trees at sucking up carbon,” he said.

“The trouble with microalgae is that they have a shorter life cycle than trees and it can be expensive to harvest out in the ocean.”

Professor Borowitzka and his PhD student Navid Mohameni are currently looking for ways to grow the particular marine algae species, known as a coccolithophorid, in very high density reactors.

The team is searching for the best species to use, as well as the optimal conditions for growth and performing large scale test work.

“This species naturally fixes carbon dioxide into limestone plates on the surface of its cells, which gives it a white appearance,” said Professor Borowitzka.

“The blooms periodically form around Jervois Bay in New South Wales and are large enough to see from space. This naturally occurring phenomenon has an important impact on the global carbon balance.

“Many biological systems can release carbon again through rotting and burning, which does not occur with this species.

“Growing this algae in large numbers will not only provide a way to lock up carbon, but its large oil content could enable it to be used as a form of recyclable fuel.”

Professor Borowitzka has extensive experience in developing large scale commercial algal culture systems and has access to a pilot 1000 litre reactor at Murdoch University.

The project also gives Professor Borowitzka the opportunity to draw on his original PhD research, where he examined the mechanism of algal production of limestone.

“We are very lucky because Murdoch University has one of the few laboratories in the world with expertise in large scale algal culture,” he said.