Could algae help solve our social problems?

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A joint collaborative programme between the UK and India is working on a bioenergy project where algae could help solve social problems by cleaning industrial effluent.

Dr Carole Llewellyn from the Swansea University College of Science recently hosted a visit by two experts from India to see the Swansea University’s CSAR aquaculture and microalgal facilities and to meet Welsh Water and Tata Steel Industry.   

The visitors Professor, N Thajudden, a microbiologist and expert in cyanobacteria from Bharathidasan, Thiruchirappali and Dr V Sivasubramanian, Director of Phycospectrum Environment Research Centre (PERC), an international company based in Chennai, met Carole and Dr Alla Silkina from the College of Science to discuss future projects under the jointly funded UK-BBSRC and India-DBT programme.

This programme is focussed on understanding the interactions between algae and bacteria with the aim of promoting algal growth for bioenergy production. The project is in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Discussion also included the development of further links in terms of student exchange and algal biotechnology industrial placements.

 Algae UK-India project

Photo taken at Swansea University’s algal greenhouse facility Left to right: Dr Alla Silkina, Professor N. Thajuddin, Dr V. Sivasubramanian, Dr Carole Llewellyn.

More information on algae research can be found at https://algaewales.wordpress.com/