LAKELAND (970 WFLA) -- Shooting algae into space!
No, it's not a plan for dealing with red tide. Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland is working on using diatoms... a type of microscopic algae... to handle the twin tasks of scrubbing carbon dioxide out of the air and replenishing oxygen on board spacecraft.
"Diatoms essentially... (have) cell walls made of glass... it's a silica," according to Melba Horton, an assistant professor of biology at Florida Poly. The glass is also porous, giving it a bigger surface area and potentially making it more efficient as a scrubber than the current method used on spacecraft, involving glass beads.
Diatoms could also have applications for solar power on spacecraft.
The university recently got an extension from the Florida Space Grant Consortium, allowing research to continue until April. The ultimate goal is to commercialize the diatom technology.