Algae on the brain in bioengineering.

Özugur et al. recently pushed the boundaries of augmented physiology through artificial symbioses. They microinjected algal cultures into tadpole (Xenopus laevis) hearts. The resulting capillary-bound algae produced physiologically relevant levels of oxygen, which could rescue neuronal hypoxia. This work contributes to the growing field of artificial photosymbioses.