4 research outputs found
Production and characterization of algae extract from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Background: Algae offer many advantages as biofuel sources including:
high growth rates, high lipid content, the ability to grow on
non-agricultural land, and the genetic versatility to improve strains
rapidly and produce co-products. Research is ongoing to make algae
biofuels a more financially attractive energy option; however, it is
becoming evident that the economic viability of algae-based fuels may
hinge upon high-value co-products. This work evaluated the feasibility
of using a co-product, algae extract, as a nutrient source in cell
culture media. Results: Algae extract prepared from autolysed
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was found to contain 3.0% protein, 9.2% total
carbohydrate, and 3.9% free \u3b1-amino acid which is similar to the
nutrient content of commercially available yeast extract. The effects
of algae extract on the growth andmetabolism of laboratory strains of
Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested by
substituting algae extract for yeast extract in LB and YPAD growth
media recipes. Complex laboratory media supplemented with algae extract
instead of yeast extract showed markedly improved effects on the growth
and metabolism of common laboratory microorganisms in all cases except
ethanol production rates in yeast. Conclusions: This study showed that
algae extract derived from C. reinhardtii is similar, if not superior,
to commercially available yeast extract in nutrient content and effects
on the growth and metabolism of E. coli and S. cerevisiae. Bacto\u2122
yeast extract is valued at USD $0.15\u20130.35 per gram, if algae
extract was sold at similar prices, it would serve as a high-value
co-product in algae-based fuel processes
DIRECTED EVOLUTION: SELECTION OF THE HOST ORGANISM
Directed evolution has become a well-established tool for improving proteins and biological systems. A critical aspect of directed evolution is the selection of a suitable host organism for achieving functional expression of the target gene. To date, most directed evolution studies have used either Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a host; however, other bacterial and yeast species, as well as mammalian and insect cell lines, have also been successfully used. Recent advances in synthetic biology and genomics have opened the possibility of expanding the use of directed evolution to new host organisms such as microalgae. This review focuses on the different host organisms used in directed evolution and highlights some of the recent directed evolution strategies used in these organisms
Production and characterization of algae extract from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Background: Algae offer many advantages as biofuel sources including: high growth rates, high lipid content, the ability to grow on non-agricultural land, and the genetic versatility to improve strains rapidly and produce co-products. Research is ongoing to make algae biofuels a more financially attractive energy option; however, it is becoming evident that the economic viability of algae-based fuels may hinge upon high-value co-products. This work evaluated the feasibility of using a co-product, algae extract, as a nutrient source in cell culture media.
Results: Algae extract prepared from autolysed Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was found to contain 3.0% protein, 9.2% total carbohydrate, and 3.9% free α-amino acid which is similar to the nutrient content of commercially available yeast extract. The effects of algae extract on the growth and metabolism of laboratory strains of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested by substituting algae extract for yeast extract in LB and YPAD growth media recipes. Complex laboratory media supplemented with algae extract instead of yeast extract showed markedly improved effects on the growth and metabolism of common laboratory microorganisms in all cases except ethanol production rates in yeast.
Conclusions: This study showed that algae extract derived from C. reinhardtii is similar, if not superior, to commercially available yeast extract in nutrient content and effects on the growth and metabolism of E. coli and S. cerevisiae. Bacto™ yeast extract is valued at USD $0.15–0.35 per gram, if algae extract was sold at similar prices, it would serve as a high-value co-product in algae-based fuel processes