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.
