In a first, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has sanctioned a grant of Rs 71.74 lakh for Mumbai University’s Centre for Excellence in Marine Studies. The grant is to be utilised for a project on ‘bio-prospecting of marine microalgae’. Through this project, the university is set to explore how ‘microalgae’, which are commonly found along India’s west coast, can be tapped for their use in various industries such as skin care products or nutraceuticals like omega-3s.