Algae, considered as a biological substance, refers collectively to the biomass or biogenic material derived from photosynthetic, typically aquatic, non-vascular organisms encompassing microalgae (e.g., chlorophytes, diatoms, cyanobacteria in some usages) and macroalgae (seaweeds). This substance is characterized by high concentrations of pigments (such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins), variable macromolecular composition (proteins, polysaccharides, lipids), and often substantial contents of structural or storage polysaccharides (e.g., starch, alginates, carrageenans). Algal biomass is studied as a feedstock for biorefinery applications, including biofuels, bioplastics, nutraceuticals, and as a source of specialized metabolites with defined biochemical and physicochemical properties.
Hidden beneath the water's surface is a botanical world that is among nature's most innovative and ecologically important.
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2026
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A new study sheds light on how the ancestors of modern land plants survived one of the most challenging aspects of life outside water: exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. By examining a microscopic alga closely ...
Evolution
Jun 28, 2026
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At the icy, wind-swept tip of South America lies Inútil Bay, a remote marine environment in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago that has long guarded its underwater secrets because of severe logistical and meteorological challenges. ...
Ecology
Jun 22, 2026
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Intensive agriculture poses a significant threat to global biodiversity. However, one aspect of biodiversity in farmland is little studied: algae. Most people have seen algae growing in streams, lakes or the sea. However, ...
Ecology
May 18, 2026
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Research led by a University of Bristol Ph.D. student has revealed a host of thriving microscopic algae communities in snow and glaciers across one of the most remote locations on Earth. The study, which appears in ISME Communications ...
Environment
May 11, 2026
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Imagine a sea of glowing blue lights pulsing to the beat of the music. But instead of glow sticks filled with toxic chemicals, the luminescence comes from living algae, shimmering on demand. In a new study published in Science ...
Biotechnology
May 6, 2026
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As record-breaking amounts of sargassum seaweed drift toward Florida's shores, researchers at Florida International University are exploring how the coastal nuisance could become a valuable ingredient in everyday foods.
Ecology
May 5, 2026
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Why are there so many species of coral reef fish? According to a new study, it's because about 50 million years ago, some fish figured out how to bite food from hard surfaces.
Plants & Animals
Apr 28, 2026
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57
Researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have solved a long-standing mystery of how a model green microalga reorganizes its central metabolism to supercharge growth when given access to both light and a carbon ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 9, 2026
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Some of the most ancient fossils collected to date were traced back to the Ediacaran period. This is the time interval ranging from around 635 to 541 million years ago, shortly before the time when scientists predict that ...
