Education / Bellingham
WWU’s Greg O’Neil, chemistry students unlock new technique to identify waxes used as alternative fuel sources, cosmetics
Professor of Chemistry Greg O’Neil has spent a decade investigating how to utilize an algae-produced wax for alternative fuel sources and cosmetics. Now, his lab has an easier time identifying and quantifying the wax thanks to a new method developed by WWU chemistry student Sarah Maffett and a team of researchers in O’Neil’s lab.
Western Washington University published this notice on 2026-09-29. The following highlights are selected excerpts from the full source.
Professor of Chemistry Greg O’Neil has spent a decade investigating how to utilize an algae-produced wax for alternative fuel sources and cosmetics. Now, his lab has an easier time identifying and quantifying the wax thanks to a new method developed by WWU chemistry student Sarah Maffett and a team of researchers in O’Neil’s lab.
For more than 50 years, researchers relied on a technique called gas chromatography, or GC, to analyze the wax, known as alkenones.
“GC is very useful — it’s extremely sensitive, needing only tiny amounts of material, and provides a lot of information,” O’Neil said.
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Western Washington University →Source publication: Sep 29, 2026
Source checked: Sep 29, 2026
Brief prepared: Sep 29, 2026
Automatically prepared from the linked public source. Source-digest highlights are quoted excerpts, not independent reporting. Dates and claims remain those of the source.