A modified algae grabs microplastics out of water like a magnet. University of Missouri researchers engineered the algae to produce limonene (orange-scented oil) which makes it water-repellent and attractive to other water-repellent particles. Microplastics are water-repellent too, so they and the algae stick together, and the algae-and-oil clumps sink to the bottom of the water. Bonus: the algae also clean wastewater while growing. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67543-5
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Ada Palmer
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2026-06-02 16:02:24 UTC
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2026-06-02 16:02:24 UTCEvent JSON
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