(Notícia em Inglês)
Algae that thrive in sun-drenched wildernesses are an important source of natural nutrition and biofuel. But while most projects have grown algae in closed conditions, there is hope that the open environment of the UAE desert might also be suitable. Megan Detrie reports
The desert might not seem an ideal setting for algae to thrive. But biologists believe its abundant sunlight and unused land could make it the perfect place for the tiny plants that can be used to make a versatile oil for food and fuel alike.
Algae that thrive in sun-drenched wildernesses are an important source of natural nutrition and biofuel. But while most projects have grown algae in closed conditions, there is hope that the open environment of the UAE desert might also be suitable. Megan Detrie reports
The desert might not seem an ideal setting for algae to thrive. But biologists believe its abundant sunlight and unused land could make it the perfect place for the tiny plants that can be used to make a versatile oil for food and fuel alike.
Microalgae - single-celled microscopic relatives of seaweeds - have attracted global attention in recent years as a source of natural food supplements for humans and animals, and possibly as a biofuel.
The algae are an important source of omega-3 oils, rich in essential fatty acids as well as antioxidants which work against the ageing process, and carotenoid, a natural food pigment and source of vitamin A. Oils that build up in the cells of the algae when they are starved of nutrients can also be extracted for use as feed in fish farms or for chicken.
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The algae are an important source of omega-3 oils, rich in essential fatty acids as well as antioxidants which work against the ageing process, and carotenoid, a natural food pigment and source of vitamin A. Oils that build up in the cells of the algae when they are starved of nutrients can also be extracted for use as feed in fish farms or for chicken.
thenational.ae»