Can algae save the world -- again?
The microscopic green plants cleaned up the earth's atmosphere millions of years ago and scientists hope algae can do it again by removing greenhouse gases.
In the distant past, algae helped turn the earth's then inhospitable atmosphere into one that could support modern life through photosynthesis.
Some of the algae sank to sea or lake beds and slowly became oil.
The race is now on to find cost effective ways to turn algae, one of the planet's oldest life forms, into vegetable oil, which can be used for fuel and plastic products.
SOUNDBITE (English): STEVE SKILL, BIOCHEMIST, PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY
SOUNDBITE (English): DR CAROLE LLEWELLYN, MARINE CHEMIST, PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY
