If green algae of the species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii meet Pseudomonas protegens bacteria, their fate is sealed. The bacteria, measuring only some two micrometers, surround the algae, which are around five times larger, and attack them with a deadly toxic cocktail. The algae lose their flagella, which renders…

The human body clock runs on a 24-hour cycle, or circadian (from the Latin meaning “about a day”) rhythm. When our internal cycle gets out of sync with our surroundings, such as when crossing time zones, jetlag can result. The circadian rhythm therefore needs to be reset, which is achieved primarily…

A new way of fixing inactive proteins has been discovered in an alga, which uses chloroplast extracts and light to release an interrupting sequence from a protein. Research specialist Stephen Campbell and Professor David Stern at the Boyce Thompson Institute, in Ithaca, NY…

To cope with changes in its aquatic environment and the nutrient deficiencies that may result, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a mobile single-cell alga, must adapt its metabolism for subsistence, notably in terms of sugar. The latter is produced by photosynthesis. To this end, plants and algae use internal cell structures…

A small freshwater algal strain that has evolved to live in harsh seawater is giving scientists insight into how living things adapt to changes in their environment. The findings could help scientists better understand how species have been able to adapt to major shifts of circumstances in the past, such as transferring from…

Sarah Zhang writes in Wired Magazine that the single-cell green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have an eyespot that makes use of light-sensitive proteins. One of them is called channelrhodopsin-2. This algal protein, transplanted into the human retina, could one day restore sight to the blind…

Some algae like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (or “Chlamy,” as it’s known to its large research community) produce energy-dense oils or lipids when stressed, and these lipids can then be converted into fuels. However, researchers walk a fine line in not killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, in this case, stressing…

None of us would be alive if sperm cells didn’t know how to swim, or if the cilia in our lungs couldn’t prevent fluid buildup. But we know very little about the dynamics of so-called “living fluids,” those containing cells, microorganisms or other biological structures. Understanding the behavior of living fluids starts…

Brian Krassenstein, writing in 3Dprint.com, goes deeper into the recent paper in Engineering in Life Sciences journal discussing the impact 3D bioprinting will have in the field of medicine. As several companies are already printing living human tissue, it’s only a matter of time before many ailments can be halted via…

Researchers at Iowa State University, in Ames, IA, are exploring the effects of controlling the expression of two algal genes that regulate the uptake of CO2 for photosynthesis. In the experiments performed…