Syracuse University Ph.D. candidate Bendy Estime has set out to change that, by developing a new growth medium that makes cultivation and harvesting easier.

When it comes to growing microalgae in rows of clear tubes, there are a few challenges. For one thing, some of the algae tends to cling to the inside walls of the container, blocking light from reaching the rest of the algae that's growing deeper within. For another, the liquid growth medium needs to be stirred frequently, in order to expose all of the algae clusters to the light.

Finally, when harvesting the algae, the process of separating it from the medium is time- and energy-intensive.

With these things in mind, Estime created a growth medium known as Tris-Acetate-Phosphate-Pluronic (TAPP).

To start, when the TAPP is at a temperature of 15 ºC (59 ºF) and is in a liquid state, it's seeded with microalgae cells. Its temperature is then raised by seven degrees, causing it to gel.