You may have noticed the common blue-green algae on a lake, or a substance that people refer to as “pond-scum.” This algae layer is actually a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria, which can be visible to the human eye in other colors such as pink or red.
Cyanobacteria are also found in the ocean, on cliffs, rocks, hot springs and in other extreme environments. They’re ancient organisms — dating to about 3 billion years ago — and they are the original source of oxygen we breathe today, says William Gerwick, a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego.
Blue Green Algae Benefits
While cyanobacteria can also produce certain toxins that can pose direct threats to humans and animals, there is also a new possibility that the bacteria could treat human disease, according to Nicole Avalon, a NIH National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellow at the Gerwick lab.
“It's those same chemicals that we're looking at for their potential utility in such diverse areas as anticancer treatments, antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory agents,” says Gerwick.
