Ecologists Claim Genetically Engineered Algae for Biofuel Pose Potential Risk

Biofuel, an alternative for fossil fuel that derives its energy from carbon fixation, is considered to have the potential to meet more than a quarter of world demand for transportation fuel by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. But, of late, researchers claim that genetically engineered algae might pose a risk to the environment.

According to research, algae, which are considered to be a rich source for biofuel, should be under independent studies of environmental risks, as this new pursuit can trigger unintended consequences. The study was carried out in the August issue of the journal BioScience.

Allison Snow, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at the Ohio State University and lead author of the paper said, "A critical baseline concern is whether genetically engineered algae would be able to survive in the wild. If they're grown in big, open ponds, which are mainly what we're talking about, could the newer types of microalgae get out into nature and mingle? We need to know if they can survive and whether they can hybridize or evolve to become more prolific when they get out of a controlled environment."

"If they can survive, we also need to know whether some types of genetically engineered blue-green algae, for example, could produce toxins or harmful algal blooms -- or both," Snow noted.

The researcher is co-authored by ecologist Val Smith, a professor in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas. The researchers are faced with a challenge of not inducing any change in the existing ecosystem, as algae has the capacity to get dispersed, and the transgenes that they contain could be transferred to other species there by altering the ecosystem.

"The applications are new and the organisms are less well-known. They range from being very tame 'lab rats' that won't survive in nature to wild organisms that can presumably cross with each other unless some measures are taken to prevent crossing. It's a very new situation," Snow said.

"There's a lot of hype and speculation about algae as a biofuel source, and it's hard to gauge exactly what's going on. We see many indications, especially funding, that private companies and the government have decided this is important and worth pursuing," Snow said. "So much will depend on the economics of it. Whether you can get a lot of energy out of algae depends on these breakthroughs with biology, technology, or both."

The researchers state that the genetically engineered algae would contain a special factor termed as "suicide genes" that would cut the spread of algae.

"If such precautions are taken in lieu of thorough environmental assessments, more information should be required to ensure their long-term success and to prevent (genetically engineered) algae from evolving to silence or overcome biological traits that are designed to kill them," the authors wrote.

Snow concluded saying, "With algae, this can all happen in a greenhouse because they're so small. That means they're not really accessible for scientists to find out what companies are working with, and it's going to be like that until very late in the process. We're trying to be constructive and get the word out, to get the conversation going."