I’m packed with super powers

Nicola interviewed Futuristic Cyanobacteria from its home at the seaside in England.

Hi! I’m Cyanobacteria - a type of blue-green algae, packed with transformative powers - and I’m essential to your future.

You can’t really see me, since I’m one of the world’s smallest living organisms, except when there’s lot of me and I create a tinge or a layer on top of the sea. But if you were to look at me under a microscope, I’d appear like a chain of little green sausages.

I spend my time floating around, absorbing lots of nutrients from the water. You can also find me in lakes and ponds, particularly in the summer when it’s really hot. This is because I grow more in a heat wave. If there’s an abundance of me, watch out, because I can be dangerous to people and especially to dogs that drink the water.

You’re just beginning to understand my superpowers

Even though I can cause a bit of trouble, do not underestimate my value to the planet. Right now people are putting a lot of emphasis on trees and how they can help alleviate the effect of greenhouse gases. Yet, somehow, you all forget about me.

Here’s what I can do. I can expand quickly and spread widely in nutrient rich locations. I am easy to maintain and my ability to process CO2 and transform it into oxygen is astounding! As an ancestor plant I’ve been doing this forever.

This unique ability of mine of taking in harmful pollutants and removing them from the air holds massive benefits for all of you. I breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, giving you what you desperately need. I’m vital to your survival. You just don’t know the full extent of me yet.

Cyanobacteria speaks

Futuristic Cyanobacteria was interpreted by

Amos Timi Oyedeji and Kate Strudwick, who as post-graduate students of innovation design engineering worked on a project at the cutting edge of biotech. With synthetic biologists and team members Nicole Stjernswärd & Alex Facey, they were able to design a prototype air purifier. “We created cells, little ceramic pods, that could house Cyanobacteria and provided them with nutrients that would allow them to thrive. Our design enabled air to pass through the cells, thus cleaning the air as it passed through.”

Timi and Kate say to Planet Earth

We’re in awe of your ability to neutralize harmful pollutants in the air. Imagine the benefit to the world if you could carry out your CO2 to oxygen processes quicker than you already do.

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Timi and Kate were invited by Nicola Gale at a biotech event in London, England, where they were showcasing a prototype of their beautifully- designed air purifier.  

Cover photo edited. Original by Reiseuhu.