Microalgae have opened the way to unexplored solutions to date: they are capable of bringing sustainable solutions in terms of nutrition. But did you know that they are an infinite source of sustainable development?
Microalgae’s responsibility: bottom of the food chain and lung of the planet
Microalgae can only be seen under a microscope, but they are super efficient at photosynthesis! They can stock un-organic carbon (i.e. carbon dioxide) and light energy in the presence of water, to form biomass, an organic matter. Microalgae are better known as phytoplancton. At the planet’s scale, they have an essential double role to fullfil. One, they are the most elementary link of the aquatic food chain. Two, they produce more oxygen than all earth vegetals combined. How important, hey?
Infinite diversity
Among all existing microalgae, there is an immense diversity: they are either eucaryote or procaryote, they belong to different greater families: Diatoms, Chlorophyceae, Rhodophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Cyanophyceae, etc.
Science has counted 30,000 microalgae species to date. But the total estimated number of species should be between 200,000 and a million: what a potential!
Rapid and sustainable development
When grown in micro-farms or Photobioreactors (PBRs), microalgaes capture solar light and carbon dioxide to reproduce and grow. The production is then cropped under the form of a green paste, which is then dried and conditioned to be sold for consumption.
Fast-growing economy
R&D labs keep providing industrials with new to the world knowledge, which is stimulating economic potentialities.
From their exceptional nutritional benefits, microalgae can successfully help fighting food deficiencies and all forms of malnutrition.
Also, microalgae can be used to produce all sorts of bio-sourced materials – «Biomaterials» – from cosmetics, to pharmacy, to bioplastic, to biofuels.
No surprise then URBAN ALGAE partners with industry members to develop products solutions combining both microalgae benefits, but also the depolluting benefits of their production!