AlgaeClean
Engineered algae secrete limonene — an orange-scented oil — that binds to hydrophobic microplastics. Watch each cell hunt, load up, and sink to the collection zone below. Inspired by a May 2026 study from the University of Hong Kong.
Free plastics
70
Removed
0
Water clean
0%
Active algae
7
Removal process
The science: Researchers at the University of Hong Kong engineered microalgae to overproduce limonene, a monoterpene normally used in citrus fragrances. Because limonene is hydrophobic, it bonds readily to the non-polar surface of common microplastics (PE, PP, PS). The plastics cluster around individual algae cells, increasing their density until the aggregate sinks — no filtration membranes required.