Algae Platform

The Algae Platform includes a scientific laboratory, a design research space, a knowledge sharing program, and a network of contributors and partners. The project focuses on microalgae, abundant in the bioregion. Working with strains collected in the salt marshes, the waters of the Rhône delta, and the Mediterranean Sea, the Algae Platform develops applied research projects in the fields of design, textiles, architecture, and agrofood industry.

Algae is a renewable resource that the team of designers and scientists analyzes and transforms for its research. Pigments are extracted and used in textile dyes, inks, and photographic processes. Algae’s high protein content is also being showcased in the production of bio-sourced and biodegradable plastics. These two approaches are being further developed by the Textile Lab, Color Geographies, and Local Bioplastics projects.

Research is also being conducted into additional compounds present in algae, such as cellulose, alginates, and minerals, with the aim of developing paper, glass, and enamels. The composition, appearance, and properties of these materials are intrinsically tied to the diversity of local algae.

The Algae Platform and its partners are researching possible interspecies collaborations, in particular bioremediation systems in which algae are used to purify polluted air or water. These applications have led the Algae Platform to study ethical and legal frameworks for growing and using algae.

Since 2017, part of the Algae Platform’s activity has been Micro Cultures, Atelier LUMA’s scientific biolab where strains of local algae are observed, grown, and studied. Micro Cultures houses a strain library, which is continuously expanded through sampling campaigns in the field.

In 2021, an algae cultivation tank was installed in the Camargue region to produce biomass for experimental use in the lab, as well as to contribute to the Algae Platform’s educational projects.

The Algae Platform contributes to knowledge sharing through conferences, exhibits, and workshops, and participates in educational and training programs developed in partnership with universities and cultural institutions.

In 2018, the Mediterranean Design Platform was launched at the initiative of the Algae Platform. It created a network of pilot projects in other wetlands along the Mediterranean coast.

The Algae Review is the Algae Platform’s publication. It allows the Algae Platform to share its research, reports, and reflections on the subject of algae with its network.
Read and download the Algae Review

The Algae Summit, the first event open to the public and dedicated to algae, took place in December 2020. It brought together algae experts for a day of discussion and knowledge sharing.
Watch the Algae Summit replay