Study and application of the microbiome to maximize the productivity of marine microalgae

The PHYCOμBIOME project aims to i) study the microbiome (at both ecologic and functional levels) of the marine microalgae N. oceanica and P. tricornutum when grown in selected natural Portuguese sea and estuarine waters, and, in the ALGATEC industrial facilities in Portugal; ii) to gain new insights into the mechanisms governing algae-bacteria interactions; and iii) to develop co-inoculation strategies to potentiate microalgae productivity (biomass and valuable compounds) under industrial conditions.
This innovative research plan is multidisciplinary and based on the use of several next-generation omics techniques (metagenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics), bioinformatics, applied microbiology, integrated bioprocesses, and advanced mathematical modeling.
Overall, a new sustainable solution for improving microalgae productivity under laboratory and industrial conditions will be achieved. The detailed analysis of the microalgae-bacteria interactions will reveal novel information regarding the molecular and biochemical basis of the beneficial microalgae-bacteria associations. The integration of the data obtained from the analysis will lead to the development of new innovative co-cultivation strategies that are expected to potentiate microalgae productivity (biomass, PUFAs, carotenoids) by ~20%.

Program

FCT

Budget

275 K€

Duration

36 months

Partners

iBET - Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology
NOVA School of Science and Technology
A4F Algae for Future

A4F Role

• Microbiome analysis of N. oceanica and P. tricornutum grown in a large-scale industrial production facility in Portugal
• Co-cultivation strategies aiming to improve microalgae productivity in large-scale industrial production facilities

Website

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