They then have nowhere to put all the light energy they are absorbing, and the resulting breakdown of biochemical pathways creates toxic oxygen-containing molecules known as free radicals.

ECONOMIST: Life��s a bleach, and then you die

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