Evan+Chao

Algae1）-based biofuels2） are serious business these days. Serious enough that the U.S. Department of Energy recently bet $18 million in research grants3） on theviability4） of such fuels； a combination of universities and private companies will reap5） the benefits of that governmental largesse6）. Yet those big-ticket7）researchers arent the only ones interested in， or actively working on algal biofuels； theres Sara Volz too； as a 17-year-old high school junior8）， Volz won the 2013 Intel Science Talent Search （Intel STS）， and the $100，000 grand prize that went along with it. Shes now continuing her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Intel STS is "the nations oldest and most respected science competition. It honors exceptional high school seniors for their scientific research and their potential as future leaders in the scientific community." Sara certainly epitomizes9） that kind of excellence. Sara， the 2013 Intel Science Talent Search winner who beat out about 1，700 other nationwide whiz kids， is taking algae to a new level.

Algae-based biofuels have great promise， but also serious challenges. On the positive side， algae-based fuel is environmentally responsible， capable of beingconverted10） into gasoline， diesel11） and jet fuel， and even can provide viable by-products， such as pet food， fertilizer12）， and feed stock. While all that sounds great， the disadvantages are equally as momentous13）； as the research exists today， algae biofuels are much too expensive， and very sensitive to contamination14）. One of the key considerations， then， is the ability to generate more algae for less cost， and thats where Sarahs research really shines.

Sara found the challenges of algae biofuel too attractive to only pursue at school， so she literally built a research lab in her bedroom， in fact， under her loft bed. As her work progressed， she decided that waking and sleeping in synchronicity15） with her algaes light/dark cycles was the best way to stay on top of16） her research， so thats exactly what she did.

Saras greatest insight was in the development of a stable， reproducible17） way to encourage the growth of specific algae that would produce the most oil. She employed "artificial selection" to isolate and reproduce these desired algae. She achieved this by growing the algae in a medium that contained Sethoxydim18）， acyclohexanedione19） family chemical thats the active ingredient in many grass and weed killers. The Sethoxydim killed off algae that were poor producers of acetyl-CoA carboxylase， an enzyme20） critical to lipid21） synthesis22）. That elegant control meant that the algae that remained were particularly adept23） at producing substantial amounts of oil； that result quite possibly could mean commercially viable algae biofuel production in the not too distant future.

As noted， Sara has continued her research at MIT， and its evident that her passion hasnt become weak at all. She gave a very inspirational Ted Talk lecture thats definitely worth watching.

Science is， without question， a vital component to straightening out24） all the challenges facing humans on earth in the 21st century. The best solutions， the ones that really have a chance of making a difference simply must have passion behind them； expertise isnt enough. Sara Volz epitomizes all that is promising about the next generation of passionate， effective scientists.

藻类生物燃料是当今一项重大课题，其重大程度足以令美国能源部最近（编注：英文原文发表于2015年9月）拨出1800万美元的款项，用于这类燃料的可行性研究。政府慷慨赠送的这份大礼将惠及一批大学和私人企业。不过，热心关注或积极从事藻类生物燃料项目的可不单只有这些地方的高身价研究人员，还有萨拉·沃尔兹。沃尔兹17岁读11年级的时候获得了2013年英特尔科学天才奖（简称“英特尔STS”）以及该奖附带的十万美元高额奖金。目前，她正在麻省理工学院继续她的研究。

英特尔科学天才奖是“全美最为悠久、最受尊崇的科学竞赛，表彰的是科研突出且具备科学界未来领袖潜质的、拔尖的高中高年级学生”。萨拉无疑是这类拔尖生的典型代表。她从约1700位来自全美范围内的其他天才青少年中脱颖而出，夺得了2013年英特尔科学天才奖的冠军，将藻类研究推向了新的高度。

藻类生物燃料具有广阔的前景，但同时也面临着严峻的挑战。从积极的一面来说，藻类燃料利于环保，能够被转化成汽油、柴油和喷气燃料，甚至能够提供可用的副产品，比如宠物食品和肥料，还能用作牲畜饲料。尽管所有这些听上去都十分可喜，但其缺点也同样显著。就现有的研究来看，藻类生物燃料太过昂贵，而且非常容易被污染。因此，其中一个关键问题就在于如何能做到以更低的成本培育更多的藻类，而这正是萨拉的研究真正大放异彩的地方。

萨拉发现藻类生物燃料的挑战太过迷人，只在学校钻研根本不够，索性就在自己的卧室里——其实是在她的高架床下——真的建起了一个研究实验室。……