New paper in Frontiers - Environmental Science: "Meat processing wastewater; the use of Lemna minor L. to convert an environmental burden into a new resource" www.frontiersin.org/journals/env... #duckweed #circulareconomy #irishbioeconomy

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...

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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...

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...

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....

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

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...

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!!

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....

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...

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

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...

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...

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!

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...

📖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/...

Oman has completed an economic feasibility study, bringing use of Azolla as a major ingredient in fish feed closer to reality. The Azolla application is in line with the goals of the local 2040 Aquaculture Economic and Social Plan. www.seafoodsource.com/news/aquacul...

📢A new paper co-authored by Prof Marcel Jansen highlights the complex interplay between UV radiation, photosynthesis, and plant transpiration; a finding with important consequences for plant growth in a warmer, drier climate: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Azolla and duckweed cultivation is identified as future avenues for maximization of bioremediation, CO2 sequestration, and valorization of agricultural systems, especially in developing countries: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

"Lemnaceae: Roots, Nutrient Uptake and Circular Economy", bringing together international basic research and applications using duckweed in this informal discussion meeting. Full report on this #duckweed workshop at Mt Lucas on our website: www.ucc.ie/en/duckfeed/... @uccresearch.bsky.social

Study reveals potential of dietary Azolla supplementation (12.5%) as growth promoter, antioxidant & immunostimulant in aquaculture, in particular mitigating oxidative damage, hepatic and renal damage in fish caused by herbicide pendimethalin. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Potential economic benefits of duckweed for Ireland: 30% protein content and ability to grow rapidly in an Irish context – even in challenging circumstances – duckweed would make a quality ingredient for livestock feed and substitute for soy. Read more: www.agriland.ie/farming-news...

A presentation on the extraction of protein from #duckweed biomass rounded off the talks at the Lemnaceae workshop before the final discussion session and a tour of the facilities. Looking back on a successful day discussing current duckweed research and its future potential. #DuckFeedProject

The @IMPRESS_EU project was represented at the workshop at Mt Lucas with a talk on "Duckweed cultivation on fish processing wastewater for biomass production and wastewater remediation". @TUS_ie

☀️Today Mt Lucas Visitor Centre (Offaly) hosts international experts to discuss current duckweed research & applications as well as future perspectives for #duckweed to contribute to a sustainable future. Even the weather cooperated. #DuckFeedProject @IMPRESS_EU #irishbioeconomy

Another great talk at the #duckweed workshop in Mt Lucas (Offaly) explained the work on growing duckweed on farm wastewaters, uptake of P and N and remediating the wastewater in the process. #DuckFeedProject

Today at the workshop "Lemnaceae: roots, nutrient uptake and the circular economy" in Mt Lucas (Co. Offaly): Dr Neil Coughlan presents his work on indoor #duckweed growing systems. #DuckFeedProject @uccresearch.bsky.social

Azolla's biomarkers exhibit significant thermal stability, offering valuable insights into plant-derived organic matter diagenetic processes. This enhances comprehension of Azolla's role in paleoenvironmental and geological carbon cycle studies. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

On our blog today the role of ISCDRA in connecting research, industry and innovation, and creating a #duckweed community by organising conferences as well as producing a regular newsletter: www.ucc.ie/en/duckfeed/...

🎉Our article "On the rise: Development of a multi‐tiered, indoor duckweed cultivation system" is ranked in the top 10% of most-viewed papers published by the journal in 2023 and is a Top Viewed Article: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #TopViewedArticle @wiley.com #duckweed

Saudi Arabia's National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture @EstidamahSA launched a program to promote Azolla cultivation as a supplementary protein source for poultry and livestock feed, as part of the promising crops project. spa.gov.sa/en/N2294321

On the Duck-Feed blog: "Fertilisers, the circular economy and duckweed": An overview of what duckweed can contribute to a circular process for fertiliser resources: www.ucc.ie/en/duckfeed/... #DuckFeedProject #Irishbioeconomy #CircularEconomy

Duckweed "cake" made from "Duckweed Vegetable"! 🥬Would you like eating it?😋😝 youtube.com/shorts/_EeyH...

Co-culture filtrate of #Lemna & #Azolla inhibits harmful cyanobacterium M. aeruginosa. Two key allelochemicals were identified which are believed to disrupt algal cell membranes, offering a promising eco-friendly approach to managing algal blooms. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Featured in @forbes.com; Azolla once changed the world - could it do so again in the face of climate change? www.forbes.com/sites/scottt...

It must be Spring - developing frog spawn float beneath the first duckweed plants to appear in the water channels at Brackagh Moss, in County Armagh. #DuckFeedProject

Yesterday our student presented her work on "Evaluation of the microbial risk associated with duckweed use for feed applications following cultivation on farmyard wastewater" at #microbio25 session "From Microbes to Meals" #DuckFeedProject @uccmicrobiology.bsky.social @microbiologysociety.org

The Department of Animal Husbandry promotes #Azolla cultivation at a demonstration day in Little Andaman, India, as a sustainable feed supplement to boost livestock productivity and farmers' income. nicobartimes.com/local-news/d...

Nothing if not persistent! Research on duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) published in @genomeresearch.bsky.social helps further understanding of asexually reproduced duckweed's genetic architecture and its resilience in the face of threats to genome integrity. phys.org/news/2025-03...

📢Deadline this Friday, 21 March, 12 noon⌛️ Recruiting a (senior) Postdoc: Optimising outdoor duckweed cultivation on fish farm wastewater. This interdisciplinary bioeconomy project is based at an integrated, multitrophic fish farm at Mt Lucas, Co. Offaly. www.ucc.ie/en/plantstre...

Our @IMPRESS_EU PhD student was happy to share her work with a poster and presentation at the #ENVIRON2025 conference @ucddublin.bsky.social! @uccresearch.bsky.social @uccBEES @eriucc @ESAI_Environ