Hydrogen was indeed found, but it is still unclear whether it is in the form of ice, or of some other hydrogen-containing compound, such as hydrated minerals that have water bound chemically into their crystal structures.

ECONOMIST: Creative destruction

The next trick, which Exxon's money will help pay for, is to tweak the biochemical pathway that makes the algal oil (which is known, technically, as a triglyceride, and has oxygen atoms in it as well as carbon and hydrogen) so that the oxygen-containing parts of the molecules are snipped off and a pure hydrocarbon is left.

ECONOMIST: Biofuels from algae: Craig's twist | The

The previous record for containing atoms of anti-hydrogen was a fleeting 172 milliseconds.

FORBES: Antimatter Successfully Trapped For Over 15 Minutes