Abstract
Held in the palm of a human hand, a single specimen of Azolla filiculoides
looks downright inconsequential. Even with the scaly leaves
of this miniature aquatic fern spread flat, it barely spans the distance
between the creases that cleave the flesh. Its fibrous root tendrils
dangle like a lock of matted hair, adding to its overall impression of
impotence and making it even harder to believe that Azolla might
help address humanity’s greatest challenges. That it could is the
hope of a team of scientists investigating Azolla’s potential as a sustainable
source of biofuel and protein. They presented their preliminary
results last month at the EGU General Assembly.
looks downright inconsequential. Even with the scaly leaves
of this miniature aquatic fern spread flat, it barely spans the distance
between the creases that cleave the flesh. Its fibrous root tendrils
dangle like a lock of matted hair, adding to its overall impression of
impotence and making it even harder to believe that Azolla might
help address humanity’s greatest challenges. That it could is the
hope of a team of scientists investigating Azolla’s potential as a sustainable
source of biofuel and protein. They presented their preliminary
results last month at the EGU General Assembly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 5-6 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | GeoQ |
| Volume | 10 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2014 |