Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Michele Stanley and John Day
Scottish Association for Marine
Science

Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Biodiversity www.ccap.ac.uk
Biological Resources

Value Pyramid for Algal Derived Products
(modified from Subitec Value Pyramid for Algae Product Markets in Bruton et al., 2009)
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Case Study
Microalgaederived nutraceuticals
Schlarb-Ridley & Parker
(2013). A UK Roadmap for
Algal Technologies for
NERC/TSB Algal Bioenergy
Special Interest Group.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Traditional maintenance of algal cultures
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Options available to assess genotypic stability
Phenotypic
Whole genome
Targeted gene
Culture stability
• Morphological changes
• Changes in productivity
Options available to conserve stability
• Cryopreservation
• Serial transfer
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy
5
µm

Loss of spine production
Apparently irreversible cell shrinkage in diatoms
Loss of ketocarotenoid production
Changes in apical cell structure in filamentous cyanobacteria
Loss of gas vacuole production
Change in phyco-biliprotein composition
Loss of alkaloid neurotoxin production
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Strain stability
Phenotype
Phaeocystis antarctica
Gäbler-Schwarz et al.
Cryoletters (in press)
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Why Long-term Preservation
• Prevent phenotypic change/ loss of important attributes
• Prevent genotypic change in conserved material
• Prevent loss of strain
• Reduce maintenance costs (staff & consumables
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Cryopreservation
Protocol / methodological development
Protocol validation
Cryoinjury studies
120
100
80
60
40
20
Cooling CRF Frsty CRF Frsty CRF Frsty CRF Frsty CRF Frsty CRF Frsty CRF
CCAP SAG ACOI CCALA ISB ALGO Validating lab.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy CABI

Evidence of genotypic & functional stability of a transgenic diatom

Genotypic stability of cryopreserved
Euglena gracilis CCAP 1224/5Z
AFLP analysis of reference strain and cryopreserved
E. gracilis - encapsulation, osmotic dehydration, 4 h desiccation, methanol treatment, control rate cooling and plunging into liquid nitrogen.
Harding et al. (2010) CryoLetters 31, 460-472.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Post-cryopreservation functional/ phenotypic stability
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy
Hédoin et al. (2006) J. appl. Phycol. 18, 1-7.

Post-cryo functional/ phenotypic stability
Sample Total carotenoids
(µg/g)
Zeaxanthin
(%)
 carotene
(%)
Others
(%)
A-408
Contol
227 + 8 74.0
13.8
12.2
A-408
Post-thaw
192 + 5 74.2
12.5
13.3
A-408
Control
A-408
Post-thaw
250 + 4
326 + 6
82.5
75.6
8.4
13.2
9.1
11.2

Rapid expansion algal cultures
Production GMOs on increase
Large sums of money being invested
Move from biofuels to biotechnology
Still needs to be underpinned
Recent EnAlgae survey
– Demonstrated within some groups how little though is being given to this
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

Financial support & infrastructure
KBBE-
SeaBioTech
Scientific collaborators
Glyn Stacey (NIBSC, UK)
Thomas Mock & Rachel Hipkin (UEA, UK)
Peter Kroth & Matthias Buhmann (Konstanz, D)
Thomas Friedl & Maike Lorenz (SAG, D)
Steffi Gäbler-Schwarz (AWI, D)
Keith Harding & Erica Benson (DAMAR, UK)
Josef Elster & Jaromir
Lukavský (IB, CZ)
Alena
Lukešová (ISB, CZ)
Katia Comte & Rosi Rippka (previously IP, F)
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy