Photos: Solazyme rethinks algae

In its thick, green, bubbly state, it sure doesn't look so appetizing, but algae cooking oil is surprisingly tasty. This beaker contains algae before the oil is pressed out of it. The algae-oil production process is very similar to that of ethanol. But unlike crops of corn and soybeans that take six months to grow, algae can grow and multiply in a matter of hours or days.

Photo by James Martin/CNET News.com