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Kansas State University engineer Wenquiao Yuan and his colleague think that growing algae on floating, acre-sized platforms in the ocean could dramatically reduce expenses associated with algae oil production by providing free sources of sunlight, nutrients, controlled temperature and water.

Unless the platform can grow algae several millimeters thick, it would be too difficult to scrape off the biomass for processing into oil.

The algae have responded well to dimpled stainless-steel. But the engineers are not sure why algae grow differently, depending on the type of material and surface texture.

Understanding those “mechanisms of attachment” is the goal of the first portion of the research, which is funded by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). From there, the engineers will likely test their platform system in a smaller pond environment and then take it offshore.

See more: msnbc

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