An international team including Philippe Potin, a researcher at the Marine Plants and Biomolecules Laboratory (CNRS/Université Paris), has revealed the chemical form of iodide by using synchrotron rays. Iodide is used by large brown Laminaria algae (kelp) to store iodine . The iodide (a simple, negatively charged ion) is released, in the event of stress, and acts as an antioxidant – the first known inorganic agent in living organisms – protecting the alga from cell damage. The element, oxidized in the form of gaseous molecular iodine, participates in cloud formation and influences the coastal climate. The study has thrown light on algal defense mechanisms against stress factors, and is published on the website of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA (PNAS).

Learn more by reading the CNRS press release.