Algae

Nobody likes potholes, nor do they like the environmental damage associated with the petroleum utilized in traditional asphalt bitumen. That's why scientists are now looking at replacing the latter with a binder derived from algae.

Once a harmless drifter in the Sargasso Sea, an algae known as sargassum is now flooding beaches, from Brazil to the Caribbean, with stinky piles. But some clever researchers have mixed it into concrete creating a new, ultra-light building material.

Whether they're in machines, buildings or aircraft, it's always helpful to know if components are undergoing mechanical stress. A new material could quickly and easily let inspection personnel know, utilizing integrated glowing algae.

Concrete is a huge contributor to worldwide CO2 emissions, and cinder blocks make up a significant part of this. However, a new project by SOM, in collaboration with Prometheus Materials, showcases an alternative block made from algae.

In Hokkaido, Japan's winter months, harmless underwater algae balls are protected from death by an ice shield. That shield is expected to thin thanks to global warming, causing the balls to join the list of species threatened by climate change.

While greenhouses produce wastewater, microalgae-growing operations require a source of water – which is scarce in many regions. A new project aims to address both problems, by growing water-purifying algae in readily available greenhouse runoff.

Beautifully designed, energy-generating bio-panels that suck up carbon dioxide and pump out biomass for use as fuel or fertilizer – that's the idea behind Mexican startup Greenfluidics and its nanotech-enhanced microalgae bioreactor building panels.

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.

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.

Throughout the densely-populated country of Bangladesh, a lack of access to clean drinking water is responsible for a variety of debilitating and often-lethal infections. Soon, however, residents could filter virtually all harmful microbes out of their water, using paper derived from algae.

Two years ago, maker Ritsert Mans embarked on a nature-inspired motorbike building adventure that would result in a wood-framed beach racer fueled by microalgae oil supplied by Peter Mooij. A work in progress, much of the bike is fashioned from wood – including the frame, handlebars and swingarms.

Using genetic engineering, researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have modified algae to boost its hydrogen production by 400 percent. This could lead to algae being used to mass-produce hydrogen on an industrial scale.