Synthetic ecology – A way forward for sustainable algal biofuel production?

Algal biofuel production offers great potential as a sustainable source of bioenergy without competing for arable land with food crops. However, many challenges must be overcome to enable this to be done commercially at the scale required to produce biofuels. Here we explain how an understanding of algal ecology could lead to more reliable raceway-based microalgal cultivation, drawing from established principles of community ecology to highlight practices that could be applied to protect algal cultures from unwanted contaminants. Using theoretical concepts, we show how an understanding of local community dynamics at the species level might be used to enhance productivity by encouraging certain community structures over others.

► We discuss the threat of contamination to algae cultured for biodiesel production.
► Growth dynamics of contaminated cultures follow ecological principles established for natural communities.
► Monocultures are inherently unstable, so a community approach for algal cultivation is advocated.
► We propose the concept of “synthetic ecology” for the design of such a community de novo.