Science Friday Can algae help pull microplastics out of our water supply?
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Apr 6, 2026 Kate Grumke, a senior environmental reporter who covered regional research, and Dr. Susie Dai, a University of Missouri professor working on engineered algae, discuss bioengineered algae that clumps and sinks microplastics. They describe surprising local finds, lab results showing high removal rates, scaling with confined reactors at wastewater plants, and how this work grew from biofuel research.
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Microplastics Found In Sealed St Louis Cave
- Researchers at St. Louis University found microplastics in a cave closed to the public for 30 years, including in water and sediment.
- They observed microplastic concentrations increase during flooding that connects caves to outside sources.
Engineered Algae Clump And Remove Microplastics
- Bioengineered algae can bind to hydrophobic microplastics and cause them to clump and sink out of water.
- University of Missouri team reported >90% removal in lab tests, especially effective on very tiny particles.
Whale Baleen Idea Inspires Microplastic Filters
- A researcher at St. Louis University is testing whale-baleen-like filters to capture microplastics by mimicking how whales strain plankton.
- The idea leverages size similarity between plankton and microplastic particles to trap fibers and small fragments.