Can algae change the world?
It may be green and slimy, but algae could be the silver bullet to many of our environmental challenges, as alumna, Maddy Satterthwaite (PY2016) explained to º«¹úAV this week.
When Maddy Satterthwaite was in Year 12 at º«¹úAV, she studied Environmental Science, which sparked her interest in sustainability and the challenges of climate change. Although she went on to major in design at The University of Sydney, she has remained passionate about design that reduces human impact on the planet. Receiving a grant from the UTS Green Biotech Hub has enabled Maddy to develop a start-up that utilises the amazing climate-positive qualities of algae to drive positive change.
Along with UTS student, Charles Yuncken (Winner of Outstanding Presentation at the Biodesign Challenge 2019), Maddy spoke to º«¹úAV’s Environmental Group and our Year 11 Environmental Science students about their project UCarryIt, named after a type of algae (eukaryote – get it?).
Maddy and Charles are part of a design team whose aim is to create what they describe as ‘gamified algae bioprospecting’. They are currently running workshops with students, using games and challenges to educate them about algae’s eco credentials, and showing them how and where to discover algae. They hope that by providing them with a fun educational experience, their project will inspire citizen scientists to contribute to scientific research and the development of sustainable industries.
Before Maddy and Charles dropped in for their Zoom chat, they sent in some sample jars via Maddy’s sister, Ashleigh (Year 12). Students collected water samples from º«¹úAV’s pond, which Maddy and Charles analysed. It was fascinating – and kind of gross – to watch Charles’s videos of the different forms of algae that are thriving here at º«¹úAV.
So, what's so great about algae, the green, slimy stuff you cringe at when you see it in a body of water? Well, as Maddy explained, we love plants and we need them, but most of the world’s oxygen comes from algae. And what’s great about algae is that it’s essentially a crop with minimal needs. It can grow very quickly, and it thrives in even the most inhospitable of environments. It grows on non-productive and non-arable land, so it doesn't compete with other crops for space. And because it doesn't require fresh water, it can be grown in the ocean, avoiding the need for intensive water usage and wasteful fertiliser run-off.
As smoothie fans will already know, spirulina is a strain of algae that has remarkable nutrients. Similarly, anyone who’s had a mermaid bowl or a unicorn latte will know that they’re made with E3 blue majik, which is another strain of algae. As Maddy explained, different types of algae have enormous potential to solve food security issues.
And algae could also be a crucial ingredient in the wardrobes of the future. Given it can absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen via photosynthesis, a growing number of fashion designers are experimenting with algae as a sustainable fabric. The fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water each year — enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people — and is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, so developing a sustainable fabric that is not harmful to the environment, and also acts as a carbon sink, is high on the sustainability agenda.
Maddy said that scientists are currently exploring using algae as a sunscreen, which is important in a hot country like Australia where many commercial sunscreens are poisonous to our marine life and coral. Algae can also help to combat the burps and flatulence of livestock, which contribute to approximately 15% of the greenhouse gases each year. Australian researchers have recently discovered that adding algae to animal feed can prevent gut bacteria from producing gas, reducing emissions by 50 to 85%.
Both Maddy and Charles were fascinated to hear about the work of the º«¹úAV Environmental Group. Students explained about their campaigns to raise awareness about climate change, reduce waste and packaging, ban straws, and introduce composting and native bees to the School. They also spoke about their participation in climate change strikes and the environmental clean-ups they were involved in.
º«¹úAV’s Year 11 Environmental Science students will be using UCarryIt kits to test for algae when they study water later this term. It will be interesting to find out what they discover in and around º«¹úAV - and what it might inspire them to do!
There’s no doubt that young people are driving action on climate change, so it was inspiring for our students to hear how a little collaboration, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking can drive positive change. Maddy and Charles gave our students plenty of information and ideas about how they can be meaningfully involved in shaping the future of our planet. And maybe the little green organisms lurking in º«¹úAV’s pond might just be the answer! Over to you citizen scientists!