THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE ALGAE

Decades before Christopher Howe became a venerated University of Cambridge biochemis- try professor, he was a young boy so fascinated with science that his parents allowed him and his brother to convert the family’s spare bedroom into a chemistry lab. “They were great about it,” Howe recalls with a smile. “It was pretty clear by the time I was 7 or 8 that my life’s work would be in science.” What wasn’t yet clear was that 30-plus years of Howe’s research would be dedicated to the study of photosynthesis in plants and algae.

Howe chose this twin focus because photosynthesis, at a biochemical level, is “one of the most important processes on the planet” and algae organisms are unsung heroes with a lot of potential for planetary good.

“About half of the CO2 removed from the atmosphere each year is used by oceanic algae, which is amazing,” explains Howe. “Also, the ocean’s coral reefs owe their health to a symbiotic rela- tionship with algae: The algae live within corals’ cells, nourishing them. If environmental changes disturb the symbiosis, the algae are lost, and coral bleaching occurs.”

Yet, despite the benefits of algae, people tend to think more about algae’s darker side—particularly, the blooms of blue-green algae in lakes and rivers that can be toxic. And so, algae are rele- gated to a “nuisance” status.

To reshape such perceptions, Howe enjoys doing the occasional “algae image-building” presentation for the public. He highlights algae’s importance as a food and food additive noting that the food-safe blue dye used in many foodstuffs is from algae and that agar jelly is derived from algae. Howe also explores algae’s poten- tial for reducing the use of fossil fuels.

“My aim with such talks is to persuade people that although algae may be an inconvenience in their ponds or lakes, it has a lot of big economic and environmental benefits,” says Howe.

When Howe first began his career as a research scientist, he was interested in understanding how photosynthesis worked and how the genes for it developed over billions of years. To gain these insights, he initially focused on plant photosynthesis. After a colleague shared her studies on photosynthesis in bacteria, includ- ing blue-green algae, Howe broadened his research.

“I really fell in love with how beautiful algae are,” he recalls. “At the time, algae were seen as a quirky, niche thing to study, but I was convinced, and rightly so, that we could learn a lot from quirky, niche things.” Among the outgrowths of these studies, Howe and his team began looking at applications for algal photosynthesis. Realizing that algae can produce small amounts of electrical power, Howe and other researchers are now studying how to harvest that power. He theorizes that algal photosynthesis could provide an alterna- tive to photovoltaic cells and could even power computer chips. Other teams have developed environmentally friendly food pack- aging made from algae.

Howe is excited by the potential positive impacts of algae on our planet’s future. “Next time you dismiss algae as just slime in your pond, please think instead of them as our friends. They are on our side.”