Among the victims: Mississippi and Arkansas catfish farmers who kept Asian carp in their ponds to control algae blooms.

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The research team, which also includes the university's department of chemistry and scientists at the University of the West of England, is growing each of the algae from the Roman Baths over a range of temperatures and comparing them to "control" algae known for being good for producing biodiesel at normal temperatures.

BBC: Bath's Roman Baths algae could fuel cars

The idea that this algae protein might be used to control human cells was obvious, but there were all sorts of reasons that it might not work.

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