Duckweeds (lemnoideae) are amongst the smallest blooming water plants and can double in quantity in the matter of a few days. Their rapid growth can skyrocket due to over-fertilization of the land. This process is called eutrophication and makes duckweed an invasive species. Trying to get rid of this duckweed creates a waste stream. On the other hand, duckweed is not always seen as an invasive species. It’s fast growth can also be seen as a quality when duckweed is cultivated as a crop in controlled conditions. The little plant, also called water lentil, contains more protein per hectare than soy. It therefore shows a lot of potential in becoming a new big source of protein.

This project showcases a series of experiments with duckweed proving the possibilities and qualities of duckweed regarding their fast growth. I explored how a waste stream can be turned into a something worth saving and how a new to be authorized protein could become part of our everyday future. My experiments are divided into two groups; from waste stream to biomaterial and the second, from a cultivated crop into dish. The end result of these experiments were displayed at demo day and elucidated in an accompanying booklet (see image and link).