Screening and Improvement of Microalgae Strains

Biofuels from microalgal lipids are considered as a promising platform for future renewable bioenergy production. However, the production cost of microalgae-based biofuels is not economically competitive, and one strategy to overcome this limitation is through strain improvement, for example, through genetic engineering to develop better performing microalgae strains with faster growth and higher lipid content. Here at Lifeasible, we provide professional solutions for the screening and improvement of microalgae strains.

Background

Microalgae have received significant attention as a promising platform for renewable bioproduction because of their ability to harness sunlight and atmospheric CO₂ to produce a variety of biomolecules that can be converted into biofuels, food, feed, and other by-products. In addition, they have higher area productivity than conventional crops and their ability to grow on non-cultivated land and in almost any type of water. Nevertheless, productivity improvements are still needed to facilitate economically viable production processes. Scientists have used genetic improvement and metabolic engineering to develop microalgae strains with faster growth rates or higher lipid content, which are essential components to overcome existing barriers to commercial development. Methods that rely on genetic transformation and stochastic mutagenesis are now widely used and have helped to obtain better-performing microalgae strains.

Fig 1. Illustration of the two-module high-throughput droplet microfluidics-based microalgae screening platform. (Kim H S, et al., 2017)

Customized Solutions

In order to select relevant biological targets for strain improvement and to make microalgae more suitable for industrial-scale production, it is often necessary to improve the physiological properties of the microalgae. Lifeasible specializes in microalgae strain development through multiple selection methods or genetic modification. We work closely with experts in cellular processes to identify genetic factors and regulatory mechanisms that control microalgal properties (such as productivity and robustness) through applying genomic and transcriptomic approaches. We also target identified genes through genetic engineering approaches to redirect metabolic pathways or improve microalgal traits.

Our scientists have combined classical mutagenesis techniques, and genetic engineering to develop microalgal mutant libraries. In addition, we offer several high-throughput quantitative methods to screen for microalgal mutants.

Classical Mutagenesis

We expose microalgae to ultraviolet (UV) radiation or chemical mutagens to obtain random mutants.

Genetic Modification

We genetically engineer microalgae to improve phenotypes by incorporating new genes to enhance physical and chemical resistance during culture.

Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)

We combine FACS and fluorescent lipid staining to detect and isolate microalgal mutants with high lipid production.

A Droplet Microfluidic-Based System

We use a droplet microfluidic-based system to perform complex and highly reproducible screening of microalgal mutants at a very high throughput, allowing analysis of microalgal cell growth and lipid content, followed by selective retrieval and off-chip analysis of samples showing enhanced characteristics.

Advantages of Our Solutions

• Expert operational knowledge of microalgae strain screening.
• An efficient and cost-effective single-cell screening strategy.
• Access to microalgae strains with enhanced production of different components such as lipids, carbohydrates, or carotenoids.
• Enables to improve the resistance of microalgae in culture
• Ability to analyze the growth rate and lipid content of a large number of single cells, either from natural populations or from mutant populations.
• Any desired variant of the microalgae strain can be retrieved for further analysis.

At Lifeasible, we can quickly help you with the screening and improvement of microalgae strains, helping you to obtain microalgae strains with an improved yield of different components and improved resistance of microalgae. We are your trusted partner in all aspects of microalgae research. If you are interested in our solutions for screening and improvement of microalgae, please do not hesitate to contact us.