All this week, I’m practising three sentence science, as piloted by the online magazine Nautilus.

Giant clams inspire alternative energy

Giant clams, the largest living bivalve mollusk species that can weigh over 200 kilograms, live in tropical coral reefs and cultivate symbiotic algae in their flesh. These algae photosynthesise nutrients for their host clams, which in turn optimise this process with a layer of iridescent cells that help filter sunlight when it’s too harsh for the algae, as well as distribute it for maximum benefit. Researchers believe that mimicking these structures in a larger scale could boost solar cell efficiency, as well as optimise bioreactors that use algae. | Interface

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss another fascinating tidbit!