Question

1. (a)In your opinion, what is the MOST promising aspect of algae research (in relation to modern day concerns)? How might algae help solve current world issues?

(b)Summarize and describe in your own words the 3 reasons why malaria will continue to be a challenge. Describe any parallels/similarities around fighting malaria compared to COVID-19.

Answer 1

Algal research has covered the areas of emerging technologies in algae, biomass production, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, bioproducts, biorefinery, engineering etc. Algae are cyanobacteria, microalgae, macroalgae, and protists. Algal harvesting and its extraction systems, conversion of algal biomass and components into biofuels and bioproducts, algal products and their economic assessment are the promising aspect of algae research in modern world.

Some of the benefits of Algae are: Algae can grow quickly and helps in controlling pollution by consuming carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It can prodiuce high biofuel yields, not compete with agriculture, Microalgal biomass is used as fuel or food. It also helps in purifying wastewaters and algal biomass as energy source.

Algae is a photosynthetic organism, means in the presence of sunlight it converts CO2 and water into useable energy giving oxygen as a byproduct. Microalgae grown anywhere, and in a way that it improves air quality and reduces greenhouse gases, without putting pressure on the environment. It could wind up deforestation due to its ability replace soy protein in livestock and poultry feed. As it’s rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins, can solve the problem of malnutrition. eg.Spirulina has more beta carotene than carrots, more chlorophyll than wheatgrass, and more iron than spinach. Not only that it has large amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium, B vitamins and all essential amino acids which are required for our well being in today's world. It even contains more protein than meat ,and spirulina is used for baking purpose also. Microalgae can produce seven times more energy per acre than ethanol. In short we can say Algae is the major solution in current world issues.

Reasons why malaria will continue to be a challenge:

Malaria causes approximately 881,000 deaths every year and not only it's a burden to we human but it also causes loss of economy. A malaria-stricken family loses 1/4 of its income through the cost of treating and preventing the disease. Most of the malarial disease are caused by Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae.Malaria is a disease which causes poverty, and it is prone to remote areas. Poor and rural families will not have access to preventative measures, get less medical facility since kilometers away. They are not able to afford treatment once if infection occurred. The development and spread of parasite resistance to certain anti-malarial agents has become a major barrier to cure in malaria-endemic areas,

Similarities of Fighting malaria compared to COVID-19 :

COVID-19 is currently one of the world's most deadly diseases as Malaria, being one of the deadly diasease. Drugs such as chloroquine, sulhadoxine-pyrimethamine, amodiaquine, mefloquine, and quinine have been used as a treatment for Malaria. Like wise Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is also used for reducing Covid-19 infection which has less side effects. Hydroxychloroquine is a later version of the more toxic chloroquine, used to treating malaria and other inflammatory condition. They are synthetic forms of quinine and Chloroquine has been used to treat malaria since 1930s.