MU Research Puts Green Algae on the Front Line to Replace Fossil Fuel

by Mariana Labatte (Innovations in Agriculture Missourian Extension) MU computer science professor Jianlin Cheng sees the future of energy in green algae. The small aquatic plants that add a layer of scum to ponds and pools have a beneficial side — green algae can convert sunlight into energy and store it in the form of oil.

Cheng has partnered with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis to make green algae an efficient, cheap source of energy to replace fossil fuel.

Right now, the main barrier between green algae and big energy companies is price, he said.

“Growing algae is currently more expensive than just digging a hole and drilling oil,” Cheng said.

That is precisely where the professor’s research fits in. As director of Bioinformatic at MU, Cheng is adapting artificial intelligence to map the shapes and amino acids of proteins.

With his findings, bioengineers can work to change the structure of the algae, making it more efficient when producing energy and, therefore, cheaper.

He recently received a grant from the Energy Department to work on his research for at least three more years.

His project “Deep Learning Prediction of Protein Complex Structures” was awarded $167,797 and is the only one of the 23 grant recipients based in Missouri.