Well, it isn’t exactly algae like I asked for, but here’s something to be going on with: The electric cactus: Tomorrow’s clean energy source?

Researchers at France’s Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CNRS) recently developed a biofuel cell that can generate power using the two main products of photosynthesis: sugar and oxygen. They then inserted the cell into a living cactus … and measured an energy output of 9 watts per square centimetre.

Am I reading that right? Have they really plugged an extra battery into a cactus? So they’ve turbo-charged it? Pimp my cactus?

Well done them. I would never have thought of bothering to do that.