Title of Project: A Possible Air Pollution Reducer and Source of Biodiesel: The Macroalgae Cladophora Gomerata
Type: Research
Guide: Dr. Tony Sky 

In this project Environmental Chemistry major Johanna Dolch is seeking to improve the world by reducing pollution and by finding low cost alternative energy solutions to expensive foreign petroleum.  Excessive growth of cladophora in the Great Lakes has become a cause for concern that threatens to upset the delicate ecosystem of Michigan's Great Lakes.  Because the Midwest is heavily polluted and also reliant on fossil fuels, Johanna is studying the effects of pollution on algae growth. After consulting the scientific literature, Johanna is working with the hypothesis that algae growth may be affected by absorption of pollutants produced by combustion of fossil fuels. Furthermore, if air pollutants do feed the algae, determining the lipid content (percentage) of harvested algae will tell us whether or not macroalgae are a viable alternative fuel that can be converted to biodiesel.