Algal biotechnology

Biotechnological approaches for production of important microalgae

Indoor & mass culture methods of microalgae

SCP – Spirulina

Algal biotechnology

Why ???• Strain Improvement • Applied to develop increase

– heat tolerance, – salt tolerance; – light harvesting ability and– digestion activity

• Enhanced bicarbonate uptake (in Nannochloropsis salina, results in increased biomass and lipid productivity).

• Established a website for algae omics analysis, storage, and bioinformatics

• Production Efficiency • Developed new approach for efficient CO2 delivery • Demonstrated a new model for scaling-up low-energy ultrasonic

algae harvesters

Enhanced heat tolerance in Chlorella sorokiniana–1230 insertional mutants; improved salt tolerance relative to WT 10

Enhanced heat tolerance in Chlorella sorokiniana–1412 mutants over-accumulating

(5X) proline

Genetic Engineering of Nannochloropsis salina

• Increase biomass and lipid productivity through enhanced carbon assimilation

• BicA transformantsincreased biomass production by 30%

• BicA/ ChlBic double transformantsincreased biomass production by 46%

Indoor & mass culture methods of microalgae

Algal culture techniques

Place

Indoor

Outdoor

Container

Open

Closed

Sterility

Axenic

Xenic

Production

Batch

Continuous

Semi-Continuous

Culture type Advantages Disadvantages

IndoorsA high degree of control (predictable)

Expensive

Outdoors Cheaper Little control (less predictable)

Continuous

Efficient, provides a consistent supply of high-quality cells, automation, highest rate of production over extended periods

Difficult, usually only possible to culture small quantities, complex, equipment expenses may be high

Semi continuous Easier, somewhat efficientSporadic quality, less reliable

Batch Easiest, most reliable Least efficient, quality may be inconsistent

• Indoor/Outdoor→ Indoor culture allows control over illumination, temperature, and competing algae, whereas outdoor algal systems make it difficult to grow specific algal cultures for extended periods.

• Open/Closed→ Open cultures such asuncovered ponds and tanks (indoors or outdoors)are more readily contaminated than closedculture vessels such as tubes, flasks, carboys,bags, etc.

• Axenic (=sterile)/Xenic→ Axenic cultures are free ofany foreign organisms such as bacteria and requirea strict sterilization of all glassware, culture mediaand vessels to avoid contamination. The lattermakes it impractical for commercial operations.

Batch, Continuous, and Semi-Continuous →

Figure 2.10. Diagram of a continuous cultureapparatus (not drawn to scale): (1) enriched seawatermedium reservoir (200 l); (2) peristaltic pump; (3)resistance sensing relay (50- 5000 ohm); (4) lightdependentresistor (ORP 12); (5) cartridge filter (0.45μm); (6) culture vessel (40 l); (7) six 80 W fluorescenttubes (Laing, 1991)

Biotechnological applications of microalgae

• Microalgae as food and dietary supplements

• High-value products from microalgae

– (PUFA, Carotenoids , Bioactive compounds )

• Use of microalgae for biodiesel production

• Applications of microalgae in environmental

biotechnology

• Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil - or animal fat-based diesel fuel.

• consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, ethyl,or propyl) esters.

• Biodiesel is typically made by chemicallyreacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, soybean oil, animalfat ) with an alcohol producing fatty acid esters.

• Biodiesel production is the process of producingthe biofuel, biodiesel, through the chemicalreactions transesterification and esterification. Thisinvolves vegetable or animal fats and oils beingreacted with short-chain alcohols (typically methanolor ethanol).

• The potential use of microalgae as feedstock forbiodiesel production has been receiving increasedinterest in recent years.

• It is advantageous to use microalgae for biodieselproduction compared to other crop plants because itwill not compromise production of food, fodder andother feedstocks derived from those crops.

WHAT ARE SINGLE CELL PROTEINS ?

• SCP are dried cells of micro organisms which

can be used as dietary protein supplement.

• They are used as animal feed & can be used

for human feed as protein supplement.

• Also called ‘Novel Food’ & ‘Minifood’.

A list of the micro-organisms used for SCP production

Fungi

Aspergillusfumigatus

Aspergillusniger

Rhizopuscyclopium

Yeast

Saccharomycescerevisae

Candida tropicalis

Candida utilis

Algae

Spirulina sps.

Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Chondruscrispus

Bacteria

Pseudomonas fluroescens

Lactobacillus

Bacillus megaterium

WHY Spirulina ????

• Protein: Spirulina contains unusually high

amounts of protein, between 55 and 70 percent

by dry weight, depending upon the source

• It is a complete protein, containing all essential

amino acids, though with reduced amounts of

methionine, cystine, and lysine.

Taxonomy

Systematic position:

Domain: Bacteria

Phylum: Cyanobacteria

Class: Cyanophyceae

Order: Oscillariales

Genus: Spirulina

Species: S. abbreviata

S. flavovirens

S. fusiformis

S. gomontii

S. gracilis

S. platensis

• Spirulina is a photosynthesizing cyanophyte (blue-green algae) that grows vigorously in strong sunshine under high temperatures and highly alkaline conditions.

• Spirulina is symbiotic, multicellular and filamentous blue-green microalgae with symbiotic bacteria that fix nitrogen from air.

Applications. … . .

THANK YOU !!!