In Australia, Queensland-grown algae is set to deliver major health benefits and generate domestic and export revenue. Project leader Professor Lindsay Brown said the aim of the project was to identify potential health products that could be produced from algae grown in Queensland by industry partner MBD Energy.
“The research has shown that algae is a functional food, that is a food that could reverse or prevent disease and deliver health benefits,” Professor Brown said. “University of Southern Queensland researchers studying rats have found very promising results with a soluble extract from a particular seaweed, Ulva, in the prevention and correction of obesity.”
Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch said researchers from the University of Southern Queensland and James Cook University are working with MBD Energy to create an algae industry in regional Queensland that will deliver major health benefits and generate domestic and export revenue.