Scientists from several institutions and DOE agencies have teamed up in an experiment to reduce the cost of making biofuels from algae by developing high - quality strains for resilient , year - round outdoor cultivation . Under the right conditions, algae could be up to 100 times more productive than cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks. The DISCOVR project , which began in October , is in its first phase and is using Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 's ( PNNL ) algae pond simulator to grow algae indoors in a controlled environment , while mimicking the frequently shifting water temperatures and lighting conditions that occur outside . Algae has the potential to be up to 100 times more productive than bioenergy feedstocks . The team includes researchers from PNNL , the National Renewable Energy Laboratory , Los Alamos and Sandia .
Scientists from several institutions and DOE agencies have teamed up in an experiment to reduce the cost of making biofuels from algae by developing high - quality strains for resilient , year - round outdoor cultivation . The DISCOVR project , which began in October , is in its first phase and is using Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 's ( PNNL ) algae pond simulator to grow algae indoors in a controlled environment , while mimicking the frequently shifting water temperatures and lighting conditions that occur outside . Algae has the potential to be up to 100 times more productive than bioenergy feedstocks . The team includes researchers from PNNL , the National Renewable Energy Laboratory , Los Alamos and Sandia .