Raw material algae

Take a screenshot here!

Interesting facts: Algae alright

✨ What a multi-talent! Algae are real allrounders. Around the globe, there are more than 70,000 species of algae. They play an important role in the bioeconomy. Thanks to algae biotechnology, we can generate energy, produce foam material and enrich cosmetics. See for yourself:

And what about the future?

👟 The fashion industry, too, is increasingly turning to biobased products. Microalgae can be processed into yarn. They’re used to make fishing nets, ropes and clothing, among other things. One fashion company, for example, developed a sneaker made from algae foam instead of polyurethane.

💅 One of the first-ever breathable nail polishes doesn’t contain any harmful substances whatsoever. With vegan silk made from biopolymers and an algae extract, the nail polish nurtures the nail and protects it against bacteria.

🛍️ Many countries have already banned single-use plastic items or are planning to do so. Bioeconomy companies are trying to develop solutions to substitute them. One of the alternatives that researchers have come up with in recent years is bioplastics made from algae and seaweed. The GoClimate.de project has investigated where bioplastics are used, where plastic substitutes are already being produced from seaweed and whether these substitutes are real alternatives.

Somewhere beyond the sea ...

The ability of algae to grow in a variety of habitats makes them extremely versatile organisms. Depending on the specific environmental conditions, different types of algae can develop and thrive, with some species adapting better to more extreme conditions than others.

Most algae species are marine organisms that grow in the world’s oceans and seas. Some types of algae thrive in freshwater bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Others can also grow in damp terrestrial environments, such as on damp rocks, tree trunks, mosses, soil or on damp ground. And then there are the extreme species of algae. They survive in hot springs, salt lakes, glaciers or in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Algae farms

Algae farms are facilities for large-scale algae cultivation. Sometimes, the algae are cultivated in photobioreactors. These are closed systems that have been specially developed for growing microorganisms such as algae under controlled conditions. Photobioreactors provide an environment with optimum conditions for algae growth and allow the environmental conditions to be precisely controlled.

Numbers games

Did you know?

Bodyguards

Researchers have made an exciting discovery off the coastof Belize in Central America: they’ve found an algae-eating damselfish livingin the coral reefs. The damselfish stubbornly defends the algae from othercreatures in the sea. To make this happen, it puts to work a tiny species oftransparent water fleas called Leptodora. The latter promote algaegrowth with their excretions, thereby providing the damselfish with more food.And the water fleas are rewarded for their efforts, too, because the damselfishdrives away all other animals, thus protecting the water fleas from predatoryfish.

Watermelon snow

A cold-loving algae species named watermelon snow is knownto cause quite a spectacle in the polar regions. Although under the microscopethese algae appear mainly green, they also contain a red pigment known ascarotenoid. This special pigment is only activated in the warm summer monthsand serves as a form of sun protection. It turns red when it comes into contactwith harmful ultraviolet rays. Built-in sun protection, so to speak. See foryourself:

Come with us on a treasure hunt!

This is what it’s all about:

Futurium’s current annual theme “Treasures of the Future” is all about raw materials. To celebrate this theme, we’ve joined forces with Berliner Stadtreinigung to transform selected BSR waste bins into “treasure bins”. With the help of our treasure map, you can discover them throughout the Berlin city area. The QR codes on the treasure bins conceal a total of five different raw-material treasures that need to be collected.

This is how you take part:

1. Open the treasure map here to get the GPS coordinates of all the treasure bins in Berlin or to select a prepared route where you are guaranteed to find all five different treasures.
2. Search for treasure bins in the city and scan the QR codes.
3. Take screenshots of the scanned resource treasures.
4. Collect the complete set of five resource treasures. (Here’s a little spoiler: the fifth treasure can only be discovered at Futurium!)
5. Come to Futurium for even more exciting knowledge about raw materials.

What are you waiting for? Grab your smartphones and off you go! Have fun with the “Treasures of the Future”.