Happy Wednesday 👋

Overall, we know a lot of facts about plants…

For example, we know they make food out of thin air, “talk” using chemical signals, and have medicinal properties.

But for all that we know, the one thing that has eluded scientists for years is knowing what exactly goes on behind their closed cell walls.

In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists have captured live, 24-hour footage of plants building their cell walls!

And it could have major implications on agriculture, renewable energy, and sustainable material science!

Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:

• Capturing live footage of plants building cell walls 🌱 
• How the Caribbean is turning seaweed into fuel 🌿
• Increasing our understanding of soil microbes 🦠
• Discussion of the week: educational access for all 💬
• And more… 💚

🌱 Scientists Capture Images of Cellulose Synthesis in Real Time

1️⃣ The big picture: In a groundbreaking achievement, Rutgers University researchers have captured live, continuous images of cellulose synthesis—the process by which plant cells build their own walls—for the first time. Scientists used 24-hour time-lapse imaging to record how Arabidopsis (a flowering plant) regenerates cellulose fibers—the backbone of plant cell walls. The work utilized a custom-built microscope which showed cellulose strands emerging chaotically but gradually self-organizing into a complex fibril network, a process not previously seen in real-time.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth and the key structural component of plant cell walls. It plays a critical role in the creation of various products, including paper, clothing, biodegradable plastics, biofuels, and even thickening agents in food. Understanding how plants build cell walls can help engineer better crops for climate resilience, improve biofuel production using second-generation cellulosic biomass, and lead to new materials for industry and biomedical applications.

3️⃣ What’s next: The discovery opens up opportunities to enhance crop resilience, improve biofuel production, and design more sustainable biodegradable materials. The team also envisions future research that will investigate the genetic mechanisms behind cellulose production, potentially leading to the development of plants better equipped for carbon capture and resistance to environmental stresses such as drought and disease.

📢 More Good News…

🚢 The world’s first zero-emissions ferry route: 

• In 2027, a pioneering €45 million electric ferry project will establish the first zero-emission maritime route between Spain and Morocco, creating a “green corridor” across the Strait of Gibraltar.
• The ships will use 11,500 kilowatt-hour battery systems, equivalent to the capacity of 150 Tesla Model 3 cars. The battery systems will be the largest maritime installations of their kind, designed for durability through thousands of charging cycles.
• This initiative strengthens the long-standing maritime cooperation between Spain and Morocco, demonstrates the viability of zero-emission maritime transport, and deepens the economic, cultural, and historical ties between the two nations.

🌿 How the Caribbean is turning seaweed into fuel:

• Sargassum, a type of seaweed, has become a major nuisance across the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Florida’s east coast, contributing to climate change and health issues.
• But Grenada is aiming to harvest sargassum before it reaches beaches and convert it into biofuel, fertilizer, and other products. In 2025, Grenada committed to processing 10,000 tons of sargassum annually by 2026. 
• This initiative would help reduce greenhouse emissions, prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere, and decrease the need for imported fossil fuels. The end goal is to make fertilizer, fuel, and potentially cosmetic products that can benefit local economies and help reduce environmental harm.

🦠 Increasing our understanding of soil microbes:

• Researchers at Michigan State University (US) have discovered a new microbial phylum called CSP1-3 in the Earth’s Critical Zone—a crucial region extending from treetops to 700 feet underground. 
• The scientists determined that CSP1-3 microbes are active and dominant in deep soil, not dormant as previously assumed. Also, these microbes help purify groundwater by scavenging nitrogen and carbon missed by surface-layer microbes.
• This discovery adds a major piece to the puzzle of subterranean biodiversity, and understanding CSP1-3 may unlock new ways to purify water and tackle environmental pollutants. 

💬 Discussion of the Week: Educational Access For All

Welcome to our new section, where we spark meaningful discussions about everyday topics that can create a real positive impact in our lives!

This week’s discussion topic: How can we support educational access for all?

• How important is education for addressing global challenges, and what role can we play in supporting this?
• What are some ways we can help improve educational opportunities for underserved communities?
• Do you know of any effective organizations or resources that focus on expanding educational access that you’d recommend looking into?

I’d love to hear your stories and tips, so we can help make education accessible for everyone!

For our founding community members, keep the conversation going in our forum here.

Want to join our community when we reopen? Just reply to this email—I’d love to personally add you to our waitlist so you’ll be the first to know all about it 💚

🤝 Important Awareness Events At a Glance

🐬 April 14, National Dolphin Day:

• National Dolphin Day is celebrated annually on April 14 in the US to commemorate one of the smartest mammals on the planet; the dolphin. 
• This event celebrates biodiversity and helps bring awareness to the harm that is caused to dolphins and porpoises through climate change, pollution, poaching, and hunting. 
• On this day, various activities and events are held by organizations such as zoos, marine parks, and animal welfare charities to educate people about dolphins and learn more about how to help conservation efforts.

🦇 April 17, International Bat Appreciation Day: 

• Bat Conservation International founded International Bat Appreciation Day to bring awareness to the vital role bats play in the ecosystem and clear up misconceptions about them. 
• For example, did you know that bats are not actually blind? Bats help keep pests under control, create fertilizer, and pollinate fruit and flowers, so they deserve our protection.

🏋️ April 18, National Exercise Day: 

• The benefits of regular physical activity include preventing obesity, increasing heart health, and improving mental health. 
• On National Exercise Day, health-minded groups organize events to motivate and encourage people to make a habit of daily exercise.

Related: You can discover all the 123 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for April 2025!

📜 These Days in History

🚀 April 17, 1970: NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical oxygen tank explosion, safely returned to Earth. The crew’s survival and teamwork became one of the greatest success stories in space exploration.

🧠 April 18, 1955: Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicists of all time, passed away. His work in relativity and quantum mechanics continues to inspire scientists today.

💭 Quote of the Day

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”

― Albert Einstein; German-born theoretical physicist and mathematician most known for his contributions to quantum mechanics

Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society!

Stay impactful 💚