Bigelow Laboratory is hosting two separate Café Scientifique events during the third week of July.

In the Boothbay Harbor Opera House at 86 Townsend Ave., Dr. Willie Wilson, director of the Laboratory’s National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota, will lead a discussion titled “Marine Algae – the Planet’s Second Lung” on Tuesday, July 17, at 6 p.m.

Wilson will discuss the key role that marine algae have in the global processes that sustain life, and describe National Center for Marine Algae’s role in advancing algal research throughout the world.

“Besides providing half of the oxygen we breathe on this planet, many species of microscopic single-celled marine plants contain large amounts of natural oils, and could hold the key to a significant, domestic, carbon-neutral source of renewable energy,” Wilson said.

A leading marine virologist, Wilson has been a Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory since 2007. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Warwick, U.K., and was recently featured on “Radiolab,” National Public Radio’s weekly science talk show.

The laboratory invites the public to a special Café Scientifique gathering in the commons of the new campus at 60 Bigelow Dr. in East Boothbay on Thursday, July 19, at 6 p.m.

Attendees will hear Perkins+Will’s principal architect and laboratory planner Gary Shaw’s presentation “Stone, soffits, and scientists: Building a sustainable research campus and community on the coast of Maine.”

Shaw is one of the lead architects on the design and engineering team developing Bigelow Laboratory’s state-of-the-art science facilities on its 64-acre shorefront property on the Damariscotta River. Two of the science wings of the new building are completed and occupied; the third will be ready in mid-November. 

Over the course of his career, Shaw has led the planning and implementation of more than 5 million square feet of research facilities, including new buildings and renovation projects for academic and biopharmaceutical clients.

“My professional goal is to effectively plan innovative research environments that inspire scientists while giving them uniquely effective facilities that enable every aspect of the discovery process,” Shaw said. “In working with the Bigelow scientists, I realized that I’d never encountered a community of individuals quite so dedicated to the crucial work of unraveling the secrets of our oceans and how they interact with our atmosphere and the shore.”

Shaw is an active member of the Association of Independent Research Institutes and participates in the Biotechnology Council, the Association of University Research Parks, and a variety of academic forums, both in the greater Boston area and nationally.

Bigelow Laboratory’s Café Scientifique gatherings are informal discussions about scientific issues and society, current research and the latest news from the field. They are free and open to the public, with beer, wine and sodas available for purchase. The complete 2012 summer Café Scientifique program is available at www.bigelow.org.