Popping Boba

Materials Engineering

Algae includes single-celled green pond scum and huge seaweed kelp forests. Algae can be genetically modified to make jet airplane fuel.

Materials engineering allows us to select materials that suit a particular purpose (criteria) within specific limits such as a budget (constraints). Materials engineering is combined with genetic engineering in the fast-expanding career of Engineered Living Materials.

In this activity we will not do any genetic modification, but we will look at algae to see how we can use its properties to make a delicious drink addition. This is to help us become aware of how important algae is and will be to our future.