Socrates Fellows Our Projects
Fighting global warming with algal biofuels
Christine Shulse and biology teacher Danika Garcia will expose students at Castle Park High School to the world of microbiology. Students will explore how single celled organisms can help alleviate global warming and ameliorate the energy crisis through algal biofuels. Students will determine the conditions of algal growth that are optimal for oil production.
The need for alternative energy sources will introduce students to the impact humans have on the environment. Discussing algal growth will lead us to nutrient cycles, as cells incorporate inorganic or organic carbon and nitrogen into cell structures. A second activity will be a case-based learning scenario in which students determine the evolutionary relatedness of environmental bacteria through DNA sequences.
