All Algae articles
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NewsLight without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible
Researchers successfully turned on the “light switch” in algae and kept them lit up using simple chemical solutions. The finding opens the door for future technologies such as autonomous robots that can operate in dark environments and living sensors for water quality.
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NewsIs asphalt bad for our health? And can algae help?
Scientists studying how asphalt emissions impact respiratory health are also working on less toxic, lower-emitting asphalt formulations. One project involves growing a strain of algae that could reduce VOC emissions using wastewater from a treatment plant.
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NewsAndes volcanoes – the missing link between algae blooms, whales and climate millions of years ago
Record volcanic eruptions in the Andes could explain the mysterious death of dozens of whales about 5 to 8 million years ago, according to a study. A significant increase in volcanic activity in the Andes peaking between eight and four million years ago likely delivered a significant pulse of nutrients to the Southern Ocean.
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NewsCyanobacteria surprise scientists with evolutionary shift
Researchers report a surprising new discovery—a system thought to separate DNA has developed to sculpt the shape of the cell in cyanobacteria instead. The results shed light on how protein systems evolve and how multicellularity emerged in this type of ecologically essential bacteria.
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NewsTurning microalgae into high-value fuels: biochar-based catalyst unlocks cleaner aromatic production
Scientists have designed a composite catalyst that significantly improves the quality of bio-oil derived from microalgae. By combining biochar with a well-known zeolite catalyst called HZSM-5, the team created a hybrid material that enhances the production of valuable aromatic hydrocarbons while minimizing unwanted byproducts.
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NewsDon’t build the engine, grow it: biohybrid miniature robots using living organisms
By fusing living organisms like bacteria, algae, and insects with synthetic payloads, researchers are creating living biohybrid miniature robots that self-fuel, self-repair, and navigate environments that would paralyze a rigid silicon chip.
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NewsMBL scientist Alexandra Z. Worden honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship
Alexandra Z. Worden, Senior Scientist in the Bay Paul Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory and a Professor in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship this week, in recognition of her groundbreaking research in ocean biogeochemistry.
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News‘Safe’ fertilizer linked to extreme water quality loss in Canadian Prairies
Research has found that widespread application of the common farm fertilizer, urea, severely degrades water quality in the Canadian Prairies. Urea added to farm ponds increased growth of algae to levels 10 times higher than seen in other damaged ecosystems, such as Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.
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NewsTiny plankton have big impact on harmful algal bloom predictions
While some computer models can forecast potential algal blooms, their accuracy is limited.. A new study shows that coupling three models and accounting for how different algae species interact can significantly improve predictions.
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NewsClimate change may produce ‘fast-food’ phytoplankton
Scientists report that as sea surface temperatures rise over the next century, phytoplankton in polar regions will adapt to be less rich in proteins, heavier in carbohydrates, and lower in nutrients overall.
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NewsTurning algae waste into powerful filters: New biochar membranes clean wastewater more efficiently
A new study has developed a sustainable filtration technology that transforms microalgae waste into high-performance membranes capable of removing pollutants and bacteria from wastewater. The innovation could offer a greener and more efficient solution for municipal water treatment.
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NewsThesis confirms algae have strong wound-healing, skin-protective, and immune-supporting properties
New research demonstrates that polysaccharides extracted from various seaweeds and freshwater cyanobacteria possess remarkable bioactive properties and can accelerate wound healing, reduce inflammation, and protect skin cells from UV-induced damage.
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NewsStopping algae blooms with bacteria-busting buoys
Algae blooms make a pond’s surface shine in mesmerizing green hues. But if the microorganisms responsible are cyanobacteria, they can also release toxins that harm humans and wildlife alike. So, a team reporting in ACS ES&T Water has designed a “set it and forget it” system for distributing algaecide using ...
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NewsScientists combine algae and oyster shells for biodiesel born in the bayou
Researchers have developed an inexpensive way to make biodiesel from materials found along the banks of their Louisiana bayou: algae and oyster shells.
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NewsFreshwater alga captures far-red light for photosynthesis by rearranging ordinary chlorophyll
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy source by arranging ordinary chlorophyll in an extraordinary way.
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NewsStill standing but mostly dead: Recovery of dying coral reef in Moorea stalls
In 2019, a marine heat wave struck a coral reef on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, killing much of the coral and the beneficial algae that colonized it. A long-term study of the area is challenging scientists’ understanding of the cycles of destruction and repair that can occur on a coral reef.
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NewsTiny plastics, green solutions: How algae could help clean polluted waters
A new review examines how algae interact with microplastics in aquatic systems. Importantly, it highlights how their biological interactions could be harnessed to mitigate microplastic pollution, offering new perspectives for sustainable aquatic environmental management.
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NewsToxic algal bloom takes heavy toll on mental health
The year-long algal bloom along the South Australian coastline has not only devastated marine life and triggered health risks for humans and pets: it has also had a significant psychological impact on local residents, according to new research.
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NewsAlgal blooms: New AI algorithm enables scientific monitoring of ‘blue tears’
‘Blue tears’ chasing has become a popular tourism activity along coasts to witness the spectacular natural phenomenon. However, the occurrence and movement of algal blooms are unpredictable - but scientists have developed an innovative real-time video monitoring algorithm named BT-YOLO.
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NewsWill melting glaciers slow climate change? A prevailing theory is on shaky ground
In what researchers describe as the most accurate measurement of iron inputs from a glacier in Antarctica, marine scientists have discovered that meltwater from an Antarctic ice shelf supplies far less iron to surrounding waters than once thought.