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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · 3d

Flashback: Last June the #DuckFeedProject was represented at Ultrasonics2025 by some of our students, presenting the work on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of #duckweed protein extraction.
www.linkedin.com/posts/bate-l...

Two people stand alongside a poster presenting their work on the evaluation of ultrasound-assisted extraction techniques for duckweed protein.

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · 8d

Did you know that duckweed is sometimes called 'water lentils', referring to its high protein content and value as a human food?
It is a traditional food in south Asia, and is also called 'Khai-nam' in Thailand, which literally means 'eggs of the water'!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Sep 5

Proud of former UCC BEES postgrad Alicia Mateos Cardenas fronting the winning bid for the global award for Local Green Deals programme:
Cork Chamber Wins Global Award at World Chambers Competition in Melbourne chamber.corkchamber.ie/news/details...
@joh2024.bsky.social @uccresearch.bsky.social

Cork Chamber Wins Global Award at World Chambers Competition in Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia/Cork, Ireland – Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has been awarded first place in the ‘Best Collaboration of Chambers, Business and Government’ category at the World Ch...

chamber.corkchamber.ie

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 26

Plantible celebrates its first fully operational US-based commercial facility where duckweed is turned into Rubi Protein:
www.prnewswire.com/news-release...
#duckweed #SustainableProtein

Plantible Celebrates First Fully Operational US-Based Commercial Facility and Announces Expanded Production Capacity

/PRNewswire/ -- Plantible, a biology company reshaping the future of food, today announced that its first commercial facility in Eldorado, Texas is now fully...

www.prnewswire.com

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 25

New article: Plastics are everywhere, for better or worse.
theconversation.com/plastics-all...
#microplastics #nanoplastics #plasticpollution

Plastics: all around us and inside us

From your toothbrush to your bloodstream: how everyday plastics break down into fragments small enough to cross into your organs.

theconversation.com

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 11

LAST CALL!
Apply now to this exciting #postdoc. Work with native duckweed on this sustainability project, research focusing on duckweed cultivation, with stakeholder engagement, in collaboration with Techn. Univ. of the Shannon. Lots of outdoor work, too. Own transport needed. Join us!
#bioeconomy

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 2

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join our project at the site at Mt Lucas, Co Offaly! Find details on the website at:
ucc.ie/en/plantstre...
#postdoc #researchjob

Aerial view of the CIRC_IMTA_DEMO site, with channels full of duckweed in the foreground and the fish farm behind.

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 10

Tomorrow is our last event of the series, taking place from 2 pm, Sherkin Island!

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 5

While countries gather in Geneva today to discuss UN Global #PlasticsTreaty, we are preparing for the Leave No Plastic Trace event on the Cork Islands, starting tomorrow on Cape Clear, with Heir and Sherkin Islands to follow!

Poster announcing the event. Headline: "Leave no plastic trace".
Text: Let's try to make these beautiful islands as plastic free as possible - the science & the will to find solutions.
Afternoon talks, poetry and video with: Nuala Mahon, Nollaig Rowan, Prof Marcel Jansen, Tad Kirakowski.
Cape Clear: 6th August 2 pm, An Coláiste
Heir Island: 8th August 2 pm, The Boat House
Sherkin Island: 11th August 2 pm, Sherkin North Shore

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 5

While countries gather in Geneva today to discuss UN Global #PlasticsTreaty, we are preparing for the Leave No Plastic Trace event on the Cork Islands, starting tomorrow on Cape Clear, with Heir and Sherkin Islands to follow!

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 5

A big step towards #CircularEconomy and #Sustainability: Ongoing upscaling work at @uccresearch.bsky.social on replacing hydroponics-based #duckweed growth medium (L) with novel dairy soiled wastewater (R) to produce high value #AlternativeProtein crop.
#DuckFeedProject

Medium-scale duckweed growth facilities. Two rectangular white and blue pool liners under a polytunnel cover are filled with a layer of floating duckweed plants. On the left a sieve is leaning on the edge of the pond, containing harvested duckweed. There is a slight colour difference between the duckweed in both ponds.

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Aug 1

Already looking forward to the 8th ICDRA conference for scientists, students, and professionals interested in the biology, biotechnology, and commercial potential of duckweed. Register your interest to stay informed!
📍Portici, Naples
🗓️28 Sept– 2 Oct 2026
8thicdra.info/about

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 30

We are very excited to be involved in Leave No Plastic Trace, on Clear, Heir and Sherkin Islands (on 6, 8, 11 August resp.)! Looking forward to this series of events on these islands of West Cork!
www.echolive.ie/corknews/ari...

Sherkin Island photographer highlighting impact of plastic waste on West Cork's islands

Leave No Plastic Trace, a series of talks, poetry readings and video presentations, will take place on Cape Clear Island on August 6, Heir Island on ...

www.echolive.ie

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 28

Adding Azolla flour to commercial chicken feed showed improved body weight gain and feed conversion in a 75-day study on KUB chickens:
"The Effect of Azolla Flour(Azolla microphylla) in Commercial Ration on the Performance of 75 Days Old KUB Chicken"
doi.org/10.32734/jpi...

The Effect of Azolla Flour (Azolla microphylla) in Commercial Ration on the Performance of 75 Days Old KUB Chicken | Jurnal Peternakan Integratif

doi.org

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 15

Preprint: Field results from Egypt confirm value of #Azolla in novel organic fertilizer mix combined with yeast extract sprays. This offers sustainable, cost-effective solution for sandy soils to increase wheat, quality, reduced environmental hazard impact
doi.org/10.21203/rs....

Sustainable Wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) Production Using Newly Organic Fertilizers and Bio-Biostimulants in sandy soil

This work aims to unveil newly organic fertilizers: a mix of 45% from both plant compost and chicken manure together and 10% Azolla (OFAZ) at 7 t/fed., with foliar spraying on plant or soil fertigatio...

doi.org

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 14

New review: Characterization of seafood processing wastewater reveals that separate treatment of wastewater from each processing stage facilitates cost-effective and circular treatment solutions.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
@IMPRESS_EU @eriucc @uccBEES

Characterization of seafood processing wastewater: Processing procedures and physicochemical variability

The seafood processing industry produces large volumes of wastewater rich in organic matter, nutrients, and salts, often exceeding legal discharge lim…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 9

Azolla’s high remediation potential, across a diverse array of wastewaters, has been highlighted and discussed in a recent review:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A comprehensive review of recent advances in phytoremediation of wastewaters using Azolla species - 3 Biotech

This review article examines recent advances in the use of Azolla species for the phytoremediation of wastewater. Azolla is an aquatic macrophyte fern with rapid growth and high nutrient uptake capabi...

link.springer.com

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 9

Travel to Cape Clear (ferries from Baltimore or Schull), Sherkin Island (ferry from Baltimore) or Heir Island (ferry from Cunnamore Pier).

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 9

Join us for an exciting program of talks, video and poetry on the beautiful west Cork Islands of Cape Clear, Sherkin and Heir.
The program is focused on the blight of plastic waste in the environment, bringing together communities, science and arts.
Worth an August day-trip!!

oster announcing the event. Headline: "Leave no plastic trace".
Text: Let's try to make these beautiful islands as plastic free as possible - the science & the will to find solutions.
Afternoon talks, poetry and video with: Nuala Mahon, Nollaig Rowan, Prof Marcel Jansen, Tad Kirakowski.
Cape Clear: 6th August 2 pm, An Coláiste
Heir Island: 8th August 2 pm, The Boat House
Sherkin Island: 11th August 2 pm, Sherkin North Shore

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 7

Research into using duckweed plants as a soil improver: "Amending soil with duckweed enhances mineralization of plant nutrients and induces shifts in composition of soil microbiome" www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Amending soil with duckweed enhances mineralization of plant nutrients and induces shifts in composition of soil microbiome

Duckweed, with its high levels of protein and nutrient contents, is a viable option for use as a soil amendment. This research investigated using duckweed to enhance the properties of soil with low...

www.tandfonline.com

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 4

As compost supplement to intercropped strawberry, Azolla significantly enhanced flowering traits & fruit yield and boosted soil nutrients. It stimulated microbial population and soil enzyme activities-contributing to soil health and system productivity.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Ameliorating potential effects of natural biological formulations and biostimulants on plant health and quality attributes in coriander-fenugreek intercropped strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) - ...

The present study documented the effect of bio-organics in legume intercropped strawberry cv. Camarosa during the years 2022 and 2023. Bio-organic fertilizer inputs included were Jeevamrit (JV), Ghan-...

link.springer.com

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jul 2

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join our project at the site at Mt Lucas, Co Offaly! Find details on the website at:
ucc.ie/en/plantstre...
#postdoc #researchjob

1

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jun 17

Duckweed - Wolffia globosa - is one of the specific foods included in this research on burning visceral fat.
[Article: bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.... ]
See the explainer here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDee...

Specific Foods to Burn Visceral Fat: Randomized Controlled Trial

YouTube video by Nick Norwitz

www.youtube.com

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jun 17

As a rapidly growing water fern, Azolla can overgrow natural waterways. This undesirable biomass production can be very effectively controlled through weevil based biocontrol:
canalrivertrust.org.uk/things-to-do...

Two photos side by side to illustrate the difference between a river or canal being overgrown with floating water plants (left) or after it has been cleared (right). The water on the left is completely covered with green plants, while on the right the water is clear and reflects the sky.

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jun 16

Duckweed is grown to be used as food enrichment for birds at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Castle Espie Site, Comber, Co. Down. Such a tasty and healthy snack!

Poster with the headline "What's in this tank?". On the left the text explaining that they are growing duckweed to feed to some of the birds. On the right a photo of a frog sticking its head out of a layer of duckweed.

Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jun 6

The wait is over; repopulating a hectare of duckweed at the re-invigorated Mt Lucas fish farm for innovative, sustainable and transformative CIRCULAR_IMTA_DEMO Just Transition project. All about working WITH nature on a beautiful site where orchids are in full bloom.
www.linkedin.com/posts/marcel...

Delighted to reintroduce the first duckweed colonies at the re-invigorated… | Marcel Jansen

Delighted to reintroduce the first duckweed colonies at the re-invigorated Mt Lucas fish farm as part of the TUS-led, DAFM-funded "CIRCULAR_IMTA_DEMO" Just Transition project. The wait is ov...

www.linkedin.com

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Plants for Sustainability @sustainable-plants.bsky.social · Jun 3

📖Story time!
What has duckweed to do with farm waste?
From wastewater remediation, circular economy, integrated systems to the duckweed community... We have published a series of blog posts on the versatile #duckweed.
Find it all on our website: www.ucc.ie/en/duckfeed/...

Aerial view of the fish farm at Mt Lucas, with serpentine duckweed canals in the foreground.

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