Think for a moment...

What do you know about

algae?
Benefits of algae?

The Fundamental
Theorem of Algae-bra
Sean Jordan
Erin Radebe & Rogelio Zimbron
Independent Research I G/T

Presentation Overview
My project

Final Product

Project Details

Hypothesis
Why algae?
Connection with cell death
Use in biofuels
Impact on food web

Hypothesis
Algae can benefit todays society by possibly helping
diseased cells, being a source for biofuels, and holding
the food web together.

Why algae?
SCIENCE!

Am I interested?

Origins of project

Cell Death and Algae

PubMed article on NCBI
Unique form of cell death in the Dunaliella Tertiolecta
strain

Cell Death - Apoptosis vs. Necrosis

Unprogrammed Cell Death

Programmed Cell Death
Benefits and Drawbacks
Comparison to BUBBLES

Applications?
Study of evolution

Unwanted and harmful cells

What are biofuels?

Oils extracted from organic matter

Account for roughly 7% of all fuel

Renewable

Why algae?
Can store large amounts of fat

More oil = More biofuel

High production rate

Problems!
Uses a ton of water (and space)

Very hard to maintain

Cells kill each other

(Possible) Solutions
Use only saltwater strains

Regularly take some cells out

Algae in the food web

Theyre at the base of the food web

Sustain humans indirectly

Algae as a direct source of energy?

The J. Craig Venter Institute is doing research on forming
meat from organic test tubes

Genomic Engineering: Artificial creation of DNA

Data Collection
Data was collected in a notebook
Recorded data, illustrations, and dates

The Product
Website: http://benefitsofalgae.weebly.com/

Impact of Product
Educate everyone on why algae is important
Appropriation of funds for researching
Solution for worldwide energy crisis

References
Fink, S. L., & Cookson, B. T. (2005, April). Apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necrosis: Mechanistic description of
dead and dying eukaryotic cells. Retrieved from Infection and Immunity - American Society for
Microbiology website: http://iai.asm.org/content/73/4/1907.full

Segovia, M., Haramaty, L., Berges, J. A., & Falkowski, P. G. (2003, May). Cell death in the unicellular
chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta. A hypothesis on the evolution of apoptosis in higher plants and
metazoans. Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnolgy Information - Plant Physcology website:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC166956/