In the Netherlands, Wageningen University has begun a project to advance sustainable fuel production using algae.
Dubbed SUN-PERFORM, the project uses synthetic biology and nanotechnology to enhance algae’s light-capturing efficiency for photosynthesis. The project has been granted €4 million (US$4.5 million) from Horizon Europe, a €93.5-billion effort to address climate change.
According to Wageningen University, SUN-PERFORM will leverage specialized film with quantum dots to convert unused light into usable energy for algae, potentially quadrupling solar-to-fuel efficiency. Researchers are also developing a biological battery within the algae to store solar energy and improve CO₂ absorption.