Metabolism of Novel Strains of Arctic Algae

Project Information

MONSTAA

Grant agreement ID: 749910

DOI

10.3030/749910

Project closed

EC signature date 13 March 2017

Start date 1 September 2017

End date 30 April 2020

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 231 642,20

EU contribution

€ 231 642,20

Coordinated by

NORD UNIVERSITET
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MONSTAA (Metabolism of Novel Strains of Arctic Algae)

Reporting period: 2019-05-01 to 2020-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

As the world’s population grows and natural resources diminish it is essential to secure more sustainable sources of food and energy whilst reducing our impacts on the environment. Agricultural production systems must become more efficient, and recycling waste materials is a priority for the modern bio-based economy.

Microalgae, single-celled photosynthetic organisms, are a promising new source of food and feed ingredients. Algae are capable of very high growth rates, can make use of waste or saline water supplies, reduce industrial CO2 emissions, and can be produced on non-arable land. Industrial microalgae cultivation in bioreactors or open ponds offers promising solutions to global food, climate and energy issues, but producing algal biomass at scale with low environmental impacts still faces challenges. Recent studies have highlighted key bottlenecks in the large-scale production of microalgae-based materials, including the amount of energy that must be invested in cultivation, and the need to develop new industrial strains with higher product yields.

In nature there are a great diversity of microalgae species with features including the ability to grow in extreme environments, produce valuable lipids, natural pigments or novel hydrocarbons (oils). Microalgae are especially an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These compounds are of special interest, because they are essential components in the diets of humans and farmed fish that are usually sourced from unsustainable marine capture-fisheries. To turn new wild-type algae into efficient single-cell factories requires deep understanding of their behavior and metabolism for the rational design and control of production strains and their cultivation systems.

The objective of this project is to investigate metabolic networks in novel microalgae that offer e.g. high yields of oil and omega-3 fatty acids. A particular focus is placed on coldwater varieties, which could offer unique genetic innovations and specific adaptations to harsh environmental conditions. The main focus of my research is establishing genomic data and models to work with new species, so that they may be applied at larger scale in raceway ponds or industrial bioreactor systems.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project is built on collaborative research between Nord University (Norway) and Colorado School of Mines (CSM, USA). During the first 20 months of the project I conducted my research in the Posewitz laboratory (https://chemistry.mines.edu/project/posewitz-matthew/) which has an international reputation for outstanding microalgae research. There I assembled the nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of two novel cold-water microalgae using state-of-the-art long-read DNA sequencing methods. Through collaboration at CSM I have also developed new bioreactor cultivation systems for microalgae that allow high-throughput experimental optimisation and testing of metabolic networks within a statistical framework. In the second part of the project at Nord University I have conducted physiological experiments and more detailed characterization of the metabolic pathways in these strains. I have annotated the microalgae genomes to describe their gene contents, structures and metabolic functions.

The project has already produced a number of exciting results including new insights into the genomic architecture of algae. For example, we have observed interesting genome size, codon usage and gene structures that will help us to understand more about the evolutionary history of these organisms. Annotation of high-quality DNA sequences has provided new opportunities to explore the metabolic repertoire of these strains, especially to reconstruct pathways of ecological and commercial interest. The genomic results have been complemented by transcriptional and metabolic measurements that characterize how the cells respond to the environment, allowing us to understand how gene regulation controls product yields and could be exploited in an industrial process. The new laboratory-scale experimental bioreactors developed at CSM have also been used to test specific hypotheses related to product biosynthesis, and will have a variety of further applications in bioprocess design and optimization. Our work has been presented at international conferences, in scientific publications and through regional industry workshops. The new genomic data produced in this project will become openly available to the scientific community and the public.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The eukaryotic tree of life is very diverse and many lineages of microalgae, or protists in general, have not been studied. With the increasing accessibility of new sequencing technologies genome analysis is very much at the forefront of microbiology, and this project is contributing new data and genetic resources that will help us uncover more of the evolutionary history and metabolic capacity of these valuable organisms.

Beyond the immediate scope of the project, there is a wider need to improve the sustainability of food production. With an expanding aquaculture industry, especially in countries such as Norway, finding new and efficient ways to produce nutritious food and feed is crucial. Microalgae are strong candidates that could help lower the burden of food production on for example our seas and oceans, whilst providing opportunities to mitigate waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions. In a world where society must reduce its environmental impacts and its consumption of materials, these tiny organisms could play a component part of a more sustainable production system.

Cells of Nordic snow-algae hyperaccumulate oils and pigments

Microalgae cultivation in a flat-plate photobioreactor