Scientists put algae to work making fuel. AI reveals which cells are pulling their weight

Algae have long been dismissed as unwanted algae that coat swimming pools and beaches or even take over prominent reservoirs like the White House Reflection Pool. However, these plant-like organisms hold great potential for sustainable fuel production. Algae use sunlight and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, generating lipids which they store for energy.

Scientists can harvest these oils and utilize them as biofuels through a process called biomanufacturing. Researchers induce stress conditions, such as nitrogen deprivation, to encourage lipid production in algae. To scale up lipid production, scientists need to cultivate large numbers of algae cells, which requires transitioning from laboratory flasks to tanks capable of holding hundreds or thousands of gallons of algae.

While genetically modifying high-performing strains and optimizing conditions like temperature, light, nutrients, acidity, and oxygen levels can enhance productivity, individual cells may still exhibit differences in performance. These variations make it challenging to maintain consistent output, particularly when scaling up production.

A new AI-assisted imaging system called the Autonomous Real-Time Microbial Scope (ARTiMi) aims to address this issue. ARTiMi continuously photographs individual algae cells as they pass through it, and AI scans these images to identify differences in cell size, shape, and texture. By translating each cell image into a mathematical description of its features, the AI can compare thousands of cells to spot outliers.

While some variation is random, other differences may arise from environmental factors such as temperature, light, or nutrient levels. Scientists refer to these controllable factors as "knobs" that can be adjusted to guide the culture toward desired outcomes. By understanding how each knob affects the cells, researchers can manipulate conditions to optimize lipid production.

This innovative approach has been recognized by the Genesis Mission, an initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy to combine AI with scientific research. The researchers plan to test their method by triggering lipid accumulation in various species of algae and assessing whether the AI can detect meaningful differences among them.

They will also compare tanks controlled using ARTiMi and AI with those relying on conventional monitoring methods that measure overall tank conditions, lacking insight into individual cells. If successful, this AI-assisted monitoring system could revolutionize biomanufacturing, making lab-grown materials cheaper and expanding the range of new products possible from natural building blocks.