Austin American-Statesman: With oil costs relatively high and ethanol production linked to rising food costs, University of Texas researchers have turned their attention to a promising alternative fuel source: pond scum. Biologists and engineers have teamed with private companies, the state government and U.S. government on a batch of projects that are examining ways to cultivate algae, break open their oil-rich cells, and ultimately develop a new kind of biofuel. Researchers at UT, home to the largest …