Can algae save the world? | DW Documentary

Using algae to solve humanity’s most pressing problems - that’s the ambitious aim of a team of researchers from Germany. After all, algae are posessed of staggering superpowers: for example, the ability to bind CO2. Algae can also be used to make plastic substitutes and even medication.

For a research project called "Waste to value”, Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences biologist Michael Lakatos and his team are investigating the potential uses of microalgae. Some species form limestone, which could be used to make bio-cement - thereby reducing CO₂. Other forms of algae could serve as a biologically-based plastic substitute. Yet others could produce edible dyes - using sunlight and CO₂. The researchers are traveling the world in search of especially talented algae and bacteria.

The filmmakers accompany the team members for almost a year - even following them into a Spanish cave used to emulate life on Mars. After all, algae could have many potential uses in space, including as a foodstuff for astronauts.

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[Alice]

21:50 i love how these guys are smiling talking about their research. they obviously are proud to be helping. ❣

[JoeReynolds]

This world never fails to amaze me. Its beautiful and magnificent. Love these peoples work. Doing some brilliant research.

[CCPShiny]

Things like this are what always give me hope: even when things seem to be at their worst, there are always people out there working on projects I couldn’t even dream of, with the potential to help people and the planet in incredible ways 😊❤ thanks DW, for delivering yet again

[joseenoel]

I'm a chick forest technician from Montreal, my daughter's a biologist, a self-made mycologist, we are STEM (my son's a nurse, he's STEM too)

[GordyThomas]

See Dr Candace Pert's book "Molecules of Emotion" published in 1997. Her work was used to tout blue-green algae benefits in a pamphlet "Hope is a Molecule"

[souravjaiswal-jrbj]

When you realize that crude oil is nothing but fossilized Algae oil, algae becomes a crucial part of green future.

[Rogar]

Thank you once again DW! An amazing research! Fantaszikus! Brilliant! Awesome!

Not only is the subject fascinating, but also the passion with which it is conveyed is fascinating.

[gmoo]

Can it disolve politicians and lawyers?

[rajwindersingh]

I wonder how many years it takes for the algae grown in that façade when it becomes equivalent to the CO2 produced while building the façade itself? Metal, water all are resources and process consumes energy.

[brisvegas]

Spirulina is so healthy, I eat everyday.

[VideoWebb]

Oh I loved this film! Completely fascinating and I so enjoyed the enthusiasm of the researchers. I support all efforts to work with nature, in particular our algae which definitely have a big future in new technologies of various kinds. Looking forward to my first algae meal!

[lokesh]

Fundamental Aspect of Algae is for Carbon Fixation and to make use of it to have some commercial products ranging from Bioplastics, Edible Oils, BioEthanol, BioJet Fuels, and other Pharmaceutical Products.

[GhibliHeroine]

Great job guys and thank you for the brilliant research! Your work gives hope amidst climate crises

[noob-mc]

I really hope that they will find algae that can grow to higher titers. Otherwise reactor volume will be a limiting factor to economical viability. 1-10 g/L is simply to little.

[KireFireLiar]

I wonder why they used barbed wire at 3:35. Is someone going to steal their equipment?

[samsphaneron]

Always makes me literally smile to see people so genuinely passionate, happy and excited for their work and contributions. Respect from a saddish corpo-rat :')

[jackcorbos]

God bless this people and all those who do their part to sustain and improve life on this planet !

[AmonTheWitch]

I'm still waiting for algae to appear in stores, as long as it's cheaper than rice I would eat it 👌

[urbanstrencan]

What an interesting technology, alge is solution for lots of our problems