Algae

As the number of electronic devices grows, we have to get creative with our energy sources. Cambridge researchers have now demonstrated how an algae energy harvester can use sunlight to power a microprocessor for over a year without any intervention.

While many people love the taste of smoked salmon, not everyone is comfortable with wild fish being netted, nor with captive fish being farmed. Such folks may be in luck, as a new smoked salmon substitute is in the works – and it's made of algae.

Direct air carbon capture is currently far too costly – but this London company says it can do it at enormous scale for a tenth the price, using engineered algal blooms in ponds located near desert coastlines. Oh, and it'll de-acidify the ocean, too.

Discarded shoes are a particularly bulky form of waste, with their molded rubber soles joined to often synthetic uppers. Blueview shoes reportedly offer a greener alternative, however, as they're claimed to completely biodegrade once thrown away.

The processing of foods typically generates a lot of wastewater, which has to be cleaned up before being released back into local waterways. According to new research, however, that water could first be put to use as a very effective fertilizer for farmed seaweed.

Palm oil is a very widely-used food ingredient, but its production has a huge environmental impact, plus it may not be entirely healthy to consume. A greener, "lower-fat" alternative could be on the way, however, in the form of oil produced by algae.

Scientists have long studied the abilities of photosynthetic bacteria that turn sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into energy, and by giving these communities a home likened to a high-rise apartment block, a team has broken new ground in this space.

If corals are going to survive on today's ecologically stressed reefs, they've gotta be tough. Scientists have therefore been developing a special "turbo-charged" coral, which has recently been found to be reproducing on the Great Barrier Reef.

Spotted salamanders are unique among vertebrates, in that they're the only ones whose embryos have an algae living inside them. Scientists are now hoping that a better understanding of this symbiotic relationship could lead to new drugs for humans.

In order to purify wastewater, chemicals and UV light are commonly used. According to a new study, however, algae may be a more eco-friendly and energy-efficient alternative, resulting in water that's clean enough for use in aquaculture.

When ingested, nutrient-rich spirulina blue-green algae is claimed to offer antioxidant, immune-boosting and cholesterol-lowering effects. And while it's typically consumed in powdered form, the Bloom system lets you grow the stuff in your kitchen.

Along with its present use in biofuels and fertilizer, algae could potentially be utilized in applications ranging from bioprinted tissue to honeybee feed. That's why a new system is important, as it continuously checks that algae crops are healthy.