Tag: Algae

Fire retardants and soft drinks can help reduce CO2 levels. Why? Because they are made from algae. Now, a US startup is using the environmentally-friendly plant to produce organic, black printing ink. The algae is grown using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide from air. First, the natural blue pigment phycocyanin is extracted for use in food. Applying a process...

Documenting fish stocks makes commercial fishing more sustainable. But certain organisms such as fast-growing algae create havoc for aquatic ecosystems. They deprive fish of their basis for life. Water fleas feed on algae, however, and thus have a positive impact on the natural order of things. Selecting four different genotypes of water flea, a female student from Canada examined...

Artificial intelligence has helped create new kinds of beer. The brewing process could be more sustainable. Now, a Dutch startup has developed a blue drink that won’t make you feel blue the morning after. The new lemonade is made from Spirulina, an algae that is rich in Vitamins C and B2, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium and chlorophyll....

They really can do everything: algae. We’ve seen them as plastic alternatives, vegan shrimp, even as a new kind of burger. Now comes an ecological fire retardant made from seaweed. As part of a recent competition, two students at Waterloo University, Canada, set about trying to extract biopolymers from algae. The biopolymers’ natural fire-resistant properties were strengthened by the...

Algae are versatile. They absorb CO2 and are great in the kitchen. Now a team of Paris-based researchers used information from algae to help reverse blindness. Their test person was a man whose ocular cells were no longer sensitive to light. Through close examination of glowing algae the team was able to find a specific protein which reacts to...

No surprise that Aquaman is backing algae. Whether it’s vegan sneakers, or CO2-absorbing ‘leather’ jackets, sustainable alternatives are ‘in’. Being recyclable and environmentally-friendly, vegan fashion has huge potential to make the textile industry greener. Designers are forever tinkering with new possibilities. Like the London fashion graduate who, employing 3D technology and algorithms, has developed a dress made from silk...

Changing your outfit doesn’t have to mean buying a whole new ensemble; often it’s enough just to vary one aspect. A simple idea that’s currently shaking up the footwear industry thanks to a Nigerian startup and its modular shoe. The sole is comprised of an algae-based foam, while the uppers are woven from recycled plastic. All very elegant and...

Cabbage, potatoes and carrots – a sustainable diet involves eating vegetables, right? There’s more to it than that. An American female-led startup is bucking the trend and making food from seaweed, working with farms run exclusively by women. Seaweed, also known as kelp, is climate-positive as it sequesters carbon dioxide. It is also a ‘zero-input’ food, meaning it needs...