Enhancement of lipid production in low-starch mutants Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by adaptive laboratory evolution

Antibiotic synergistic effect surge bioenergy potential and pathogen resistance of Chlorella variabilis biofilm

Tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CF) induce a synergistic effect that alters the biochemical composition, leading to a decrease in the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of microalgae. But the current study provides a novel insight into stress-inducing techniques that trigger a change in macromolecules, leading to an increase in the bioenergy potential and pathogen resistance of Chlorella variabilis biofilm. The study revealed that in a closed system, a light intensity of 167 μmol/m2/s causes 93.5% degradation of TC and 16% degradation of CF after 7 days of exposure, hence availing the products for utilization by C. variabilis biofilm. The resistance to pathogens invasion was linked to 85% and 40% increase in the expression level of photosystem II oxygen-evolving enhancer protein 3 (PsbQ), and mitogen activated kinase (MAK) respectively. The results also indicate that a surge in light intensity triggers 49% increase in the expression level of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) (18:2), which is an important lipidomics that can easily undergo transesterification into bioenergy. The thermogravimetric result indicates that the biomass sample of C. variabilis biofilm cultivated under light intensity of 167 μmol/m2/s produces a higher residual mass of 45.5% and 57.5 under air and inert conditions, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) indicates a slight shift in the major functional groups, while the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) indicate clear differences in the morphology and elemental composition of the biofilm biomass in support of the increase bioenergy potential of C. variabilis biofilm. The current study provides a vital understanding of a innovative method of cultivation of C. variabilis biofilm, which is resistant to pathogens and controls the balance between fatty acid and TAG synthesis leading to surge in bioenergy potential and environmental sustainability.

Microfluidics for adaptation of microorganisms to stress: design and application

Microfluidic systems have fundamentally transformed the realm of adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) for microorganisms by offering unparalleled control over environmental conditions, thereby optimizing mutant generation and desired trait selection. This review summarizes the substantial influence of microfluidic technologies and their design paradigms on microbial adaptation, with a primary focus on leveraging spatial stressor concentration gradients to enhance microbial growth in challenging environments. Specifically, microfluidic platforms tailored for scaled-down ALE processes not only enable highly autonomous and precise setups but also incorporate novel functionalities. These capabilities encompass fostering the growth of biofilms alongside planktonic cells, refining selection gradient profiles, and simulating adaptation dynamics akin to natural habitats. The integration of these aspects enables shaping phenotypes under pressure, presenting an unprecedented avenue for developing robust, stress-resistant strains, a feat not easily attainable using conventional ALE setups. The versatility of these microfluidic systems is not limited to fundamental research but also offers promising applications in various areas of stress resistance. As microfluidic technologies continue to evolve and merge with cutting-edge methodologies, they possess the potential not only to redefine the landscape of microbial adaptation studies but also to expedite advancements in various biotechnological areas. KEY POINTS: • Microfluidics enable precise microbial adaptation in controlled gradients. • Microfluidic ALE offers insights into stress resistance and distinguishes between resistance and persistence. • Integration of adaptation-influencing factors in microfluidic setups facilitates efficient generation of stress-resistant strains.

Application of Adaptive Laboratory Evolution in Lipid and Terpenoid Production in Yeast and Microalgae

Due to the complexity of metabolic and regulatory networks in microorganisms, it is difficult to obtain robust phenotypes through artificial rational design and genetic perturbation. Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) engineering plays an important role in the construction of stable microbial cell factories by simulating the natural evolution process and rapidly obtaining strains with stable traits through screening. This review summarizes the application of ALE technology in microbial breeding, describes the commonly used methods for ALE, and highlights the important applications of ALE technology in the production of lipids and terpenoids in yeast and microalgae. Overall, ALE technology provides a powerful tool for the construction of microbial cell factories, and it has been widely used in improving the level of target product synthesis, expanding the range of substrate utilization, and enhancing the tolerance of chassis cells. In addition, in order to improve the production of target compounds, ALE also employs environmental or nutritional stress strategies corresponding to the characteristics of different terpenoids, lipids, and strains.

Whole-crop biorefinery of corn biomass for pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans

In the present study, corn starch, cob, and straw were biorefined and used as feedstocks for the production of pullulan. The titer and molecular weight (Mw) of pullulan significantly decreased when corn cob and straw hydrolysates were utilized by the parental strain Aureobasidium pullulans CCTCC M 2012259 (PS). Based on adaptive laboratory evolution of PS, an evolved strain A. pullulans EV6 with strong adaptability to the whole corn biomass hydrolysate and high capability of pullulan biosynthesis was screened. Batch pullulan fermentation results indicated that EV6 produced an increased titer of pullulan with a higher Mw than PS. The underlying reasons for these increases were revealed by assaying key enzymes activities and measuring intracellular uridine diphosphate glucose levels. Subsequently, whole-crop biorefinery of corn biomass was conducted, and the results confirmed that whole corn crop has immense potential for efficient pullulan production.

Recent progress in adaptive laboratory evolution of industrial microorganisms

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a technique for the selection of strains with better phenotypes by long-term culture under a specific selection pressure or growth environment. Because ALE does not require detailed knowledge of a variety of complex and interactive metabolic networks, and only needs to simulate natural environmental conditions in the laboratory to design a selection pressure, it has the advantages of broad adaptability, strong practicability, and more convenient transformation of strains. In addition, ALE provides a powerful method for studying the evolutionary forces that change the phenotype, performance, and stability of strains, resulting in more productive industrial strains with beneficial mutations. In recent years, ALE has been widely used in the activation of specific microbial metabolic pathways and phenotypic optimization, the efficient utilization of specific substrates, the optimization of tolerance to toxic substance, and the biosynthesis of target products, which is more conducive to the production of industrial strains with excellent phenotypic characteristics. In this paper, typical examples of ALE applications in the development of industrial strains and the research progress of this technology are reviewed, followed by a discussion of its development prospects.

Trait drift in microalgae and applications for strain improvement

Microalgae are increasingly used to generate a wide range of commercial products, and there is growing evidence that microalgae-based products can be produced sustainably. However, industrial production of microalgal biomass is not as developed as other biomanufacturing platform technologies. In addition, results of bench-scale research often fail to translate to large-scale or mass production systems. This disconnect may result from trait drift and evolution occurring, through time, in response to unique drivers in each environment, such as cultivation regimes, weather, and pests. Moreover, outdoor and indoor cultivation of microalgae has the potential to impose negative selection pressures, which makes the maintenance of desired traits a challenge. In this context, this review sheds the light on our current understanding of trait drift and evolution in microalgae. We delineate the basics of phenotype plasticity and evolution, with a focus on how microalgae respond under various conditions. In addition, we review techniques that exploit phenotypic plasticity and evolution for strain improvement in view of industrial commercial applications, highlighting associated advantages and shortcomings. Finally, we suggest future research directions and recommendations to overcome unwanted trait drift and evolution in microalgae cultivation.

Application of Microalgal Stress Responses in Industrial Microalgal Production Systems

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) has been widely utilized as a tool for developing new biological and phenotypic functions to explore strain improvement for microalgal production. Specifically, ALE has been utilized to evolve strains to better adapt to defined conditions. It has become a new solution to improve the performance of strains in microalgae biotechnology. This review mainly summarizes the key results from recent microalgal ALE studies in industrial production. ALE designed for improving cell growth rate, product yield, environmental tolerance and wastewater treatment is discussed to exploit microalgae in various applications. Further development of ALE is proposed, to provide theoretical support for producing the high value-added products from microalgal production.

Adaptive Laboratory Evolution of Microalgae: A Review of the Regulation of Growth, Stress Resistance, Metabolic Processes, and Biodegradation of Pollutants

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) experiments are a serviceable method for the industrial utilization of the microalgae, which can improve the phenotype, performance, and stability of microalgae to obtain strains containing beneficial mutations. In this article, we reviewed the research into the microalgae ALE test and assessed the improvement of microalgae growth, tolerance, metabolism, and substrate utilization by ALE. In addition, the principles of ALE and the key factors of experimental design, as well as the issues and drawbacks of the microalgae ALE method were discussed. In general, improving the efficiency of ALE and verifying the stability of ALE resulting strains are the primary problems that need to be solved in future research, making it a promising method for the application of microalgae biotechnology.

Current Status and Applications of Adaptive Laboratory Evolution in Industrial Microorganisms

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is an evolutionary engineering approach in artificial conditions that improves organisms through the imitation of natural evolution. Due to the development of multi-level omics technologies in recent decades, ALE can be performed for various purposes at the laboratory level. This review delineates the basics of the experimental design of ALE based on several ALE studies of industrial microbial strains and updates current strategies combined with progressed metabolic engineering, in silico modeling and automation to maximize the evolution efficiency. Moreover, the review sheds light on the applicability of ALE as a strain development approach that complies with non-recombinant preferences in various food industries. Overall, recent progress in the utilization of ALE for strain development leading to successful industrialization is discussed.

Harnessing the Power of Mutagenesis and Adaptive Laboratory Evolution for High Lipid Production by Oleaginous Microalgae and Yeasts

Oleaginous microalgae and yeasts represent promising candidates for large-scale production of lipids, which can be utilized for production of drop-in biofuels, nutraceuticals, pigments, and cosmetics. However, low lipid productivity and costly downstream processing continue to hamper the commercial deployment of oleaginous microorganisms. Strain improvement can play an essential role in the development of such industrial microorganisms by increasing lipid production and hence reducing production costs. The main means of strain improvement are random mutagenesis, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), and rational genetic engineering. Among these, random mutagenesis and ALE are straight forward, low-cost, and do not require thorough knowledge of the microorganism’s genetic composition. This paper reviews available mutagenesis and ALE techniques and screening methods to effectively select for oleaginous microalgae and yeasts with enhanced lipid yield and understand the alterations caused to metabolic pathways, which could subsequently serve as the basis for further targeted genetic engineering.

Digital quantification and selection of high-lipid-producing microalgae through a lateral dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic platform

Microalgae are promising alternatives to petroleum as renewable biofuel sources, however not sufficiently economically competitive yet. Here, a label-free lateral dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic sorting platform that can digitally quantify and separate microalgae into six outlets based on the degree of their intracellular lipid content is presented. In this microfluidic system, the degree of cellular lateral displacement is inversely proportional to the intracellular lipid level, which was successfully demonstrated using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells. Using this functionality, a quick digital quantification of sub-populations that contain different intracellular lipid level in a given population was achieved. In addition, the degree of lateral displacement of microalgae could be readily controlled by simply changing the applied DEP voltage, where the level of gating in the intracellular lipid-based sorting decision could be easily adjusted. This allowed for selecting only a very small percentage of a given population that showed the highest degree of intracellular lipid content. In addition, this approach was utilized through an iterative selection process on natural and chemically mutated microalgal populations, successfully resulting in enrichment of high-lipid-accumulating microalgae. In summary, the developed platform can be exploited to quickly quantify microalgae lipid distribution in a given population in real-time and label-free, as well as to enrich a cell population with high-lipid-producing cells, or to select high-lipid-accumulating microalgal variants from a microalgal library.

The emergence of adaptive laboratory evolution as an efficient tool for biological discovery and industrial biotechnology

Harnessing the process of natural selection to obtain and understand new microbial phenotypes has become increasingly possible due to advances in culturing techniques, DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and genetic engineering. Accordingly, Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE) experiments represent a powerful approach both to investigate the evolutionary forces influencing strain phenotypes, performance, and stability, and to acquire production strains that contain beneficial mutations. In this review, we summarize and categorize the applications of ALE to various aspects of microbial physiology pertinent to industrial bioproduction by collecting case studies that highlight the multitude of ways in which evolution can facilitate the strain construction process. Further, we discuss principles that inform experimental design, complementary approaches such as computational modeling that help maximize utility, and the future of ALE as an efficient strain design and build tool driven by growing adoption and improvements in automation.

Upregulated Lipid Biosynthesis at the Expense of Starch Production in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Vegetative Tissues via Simultaneous Downregulation of ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase and Sugar Dependent1 Expressions

Triacylglycerol is a major component of vegetable oil in seeds and fruits of many plants, but its production in vegetative tissues is rather limited. It would be intriguing and important to explore any possibility to expand current oil production platforms, for example from the plant vegetative tissues. By expressing a suite of transgenes involved in the triacylglycerol biosynthesis, we have previously observed substantial accumulation of triacylglycerol in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaf and potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber. In this study, simultaneous RNA interference (RNAi) downregulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) and Sugar-dependent1 (SDP1), was able to increase the accumulation of triacylglycerol and other lipids in both wild type potato and the previously generated high oil potato line 69. Particularly, a 16-fold enhancement of triacylglycerol production was observed in the mature transgenic tubers derived from the wild type potato, and a two-fold increase in triacylglycerol was observed in the high oil potato line 69, accounting for about 7% of tuber dry weight, which is the highest triacylglycerol accumulation ever reported in potato. In addition to the alterations of lipid content and fatty acid composition, sugar accumulation, starch content of the RNAi potato lines in both tuber and leaf tissues were also substantially changed, as well as the tuber starch properties. Microscopic analysis further revealed variation of lipid droplet distribution and starch granule morphology in the mature transgenic tubers compared to their parent lines. This study reflects that the carbon partitioning between lipid and starch in both leaves and non-photosynthetic tuber tissues, respectively, are highly orchestrated in potato, and it is promising to convert low-energy starch to storage lipids via genetic manipulation of the carbon metabolism pathways.

Rewiring metabolic network by chemical modulator based laboratory evolution doubles lipid production in Crypthecodinium cohnii

Dietary omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6) can be synthesized in microalgae Crypthecodinium cohnii; however, its productivity is still low. Here, we established a new protocol termed as "chemical modulator based adaptive laboratory evolution" (CM-ALE) to enhance lipid and DHA productivity in C. cohnii. First, ACCase inhibitor sethoxydim based CM-ALE was applied to redirect carbon equivalents from starch to lipid. Second, CM-ALE using growth modulator sesamol as selection pressure was conducted to relive negative effects of sesamol on lipid biosynthesis in C. cohnii, which allows enhancement of biomass productivity by 30% without decreasing lipid content when sesamol was added. After two-step CM-ALE, the lipid and DHA productivity in C. cohnii was respectively doubled to a level of 0.046 g/L/h and 0.025 g/L/h in culture with addition of 1 mM sesamol, demonstrating that this two-step CM-ALE could be a valuable approach to maximize the properties of microalgae.

Microalgae for the production of lipid and carotenoids: a review with focus on stress regulation and adaptation

Microalgae have drawn great attention as promising sustainable source of lipids and carotenoids. Their lipid and carotenoids accumulation machinery can be trigged by the stress conditions such as nutrient limitation or exposure to the damaging physical factors. However, stressful conditions often adversely affect microalgal growth and cause oxidative damage to the cells, which can eventually reduce the yield of the desired products. To overcome these limitations, two-stage cultivation strategies and supplementation of growth-promoting agents have traditionally been utilized, but developing new highly adapted strains is theoretically the simplest strategy. In addition to genetic engineering, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is frequently used to develop beneficial phenotypes in industrial microorganisms during long-term selection under specific stress conditions. In recent years, many studies have gradually introduced ALE as a powerful tool to improve the biological properties of microalgae, especially for improving the production of lipid and carotenoids. In this review, strategies for the manipulation of stress in microalgal lipids and carotenoids production are summarized and discussed. Furthermore, this review summarizes the overall state of ALE technology, including available selection pressures, methods, and their applications in microalgae for the improved production of lipids and carotenoids.

Experimental evolution in photoautotrophic microorganisms as a means of enhancing chloroplast functions

The term 'experimental evolution' refers to short-term evolutionary experiments with microorganisms under controlled conditions in which selection is expected to occur. In combination with whole-genome sequencing and genetic engineering, the method has become a powerful tool to study evolutionary mechanisms and engineer new microbial variants. It has been most extensively used in the model species Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but more recently photosynthetic microorganisms have been subjected to experimental evolution. In such assays, strains were generated that had become more tolerant to certain abiotic environmental factors or evolved new traits during co-propagation with other organisms. These strains were viable under conditions that were lethal to the non-adapted progenitor and in a few cases, the causative mutations were identified. Because cyanobacteria like Synechocystis or green algae like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii share many features with crop plants - which are not amenable to such experiments - experimental evolution with photosynthetic microorganisms has the potential to identify novel targets for improving the capacity of plants to acclimate to environmental change. Here, I provide a survey of the experiments performed so far in cyanobacteria and green algae, focusing on Synechocystis and C. reinhardtii, and discuss the promise and the challenges of such approaches.

Miniaturized and automated adaptive laboratory evolution: Evolving Corynebacterium glutamicum towards an improved d-xylose utilization

Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE) is increasingly being used as a technique for untargeted strain optimization. This work aimed at developing an automated and miniaturized ALE approach based on repetitive batch cultivations in microtiter plates. The new method is applied to the recently published strain Corynebacterium glutamicum pEKEx3-xylXABCD_Cc, which is capable of utilizing d-xylose via the Weimberg (WMB) pathway. As a result, the significantly improved strain WMB2_evo was obtained, showing a specific growth rate of 0.26h^-1 on d-xylose as sole carbon and energy source. WMB2_evo grows stable during lab-scale bioreactor operation, demonstrating the high potential of this strain for future biorefinery applications. Genome sequencing of cell samples from two different ALE processes revealed potential key mutations, e.g. in the gene cg0196 (encoding for the transcriptional regulator IolR of the myo-inositol metabolism). These findings open up new perspectives for the rational engineering of C. glutamicum towards improved d-xylose utilization.

Sequential adaptation of Nannochloropsis gaditana to table olive processing water

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of Nannochloropsis gaditana to grow by sequential adaptation to TOPW (Table olive processing water) at increased substrate concentrations (10-80%). Sequential adaptation allows growing Nannochloropsis gaditana up to 80% TOPW, although the maximum microalgae biomass productions were achieved for percentages of 20-40%, i.e. 0.308 ± 0.005 g VSS (Volatile Suspended Solids)/L. In all growth experiments, proteins were the majority compound in the grown microalgae biomass (0.44 ± 0.05 g/g VSS), whereas phenols were retained up to a mean concentration of 12.1 ± 1.9 mg total phenols/g VSS. The highest microalgae biomass production rate at rate of 80% TOPW took place in the first two days when most nutrients were also removed. Average removal efficiencies at this percentage of TOPW were 69.1%, 50.9%, 54.3% and 71.8% for total organic carbon, total soluble nitrogen, phosphate and total phenols, respectively. Sequential adaptation can ensure the obtaining of a sustainable microalgae culture as a treatment method for TOPW.

Metabolomic analysis and lipid accumulation in a glucose tolerant Crypthecodinium cohnii strain obtained by adaptive laboratory evolution

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was commonly used for strain improvement. Crypthecodinium cohnii is known to accumulate lipids with a high fraction of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In order to improve DHA production under high substrate concentration, a glucose-tolerant C. cohnii strain was firstly obtained by ALE after 260 cycles for 650days with gradually increased glucose concentration. The results of lipids content showed that DHA-rich lipids accumulation in the evolved strain could increase by 15.49% at 45g/L glucose concentrations. To reveal mechanisms related to glucose tolerance of C. cohnii through ALE, metabolic profiles were then compared and the results showed that hub metabolites including glycerol, glutamic acid, malonic acid and succinic acid were positively regulated during ALE. The study demonstrated that metabolomic analysis complemented with ALE could be an effective and valuable strategy for basic mechanisms of molecular evolution and adaptive changes in C. cohnii.

Towards microalgal triglycerides in the commodity markets

BACKGROUND

Microalgal triglycerides (TAGs) hold great promise as sustainable feedstock for commodity industries. However, to determine research priorities and support business decisions, solid techno-economic studies are essential. Here, we present a techno-economic analysis of two-step TAG production (growth reactors are operated in continuous mode such that multiple batch-operated stress reactors are inoculated and harvested sequentially) for a 100-ha plant in southern Spain using vertically stacked tubular photobioreactors. The base case is established with outdoor pilot-scale data and based on current process technology.

RESULTS

For the base case, production costs of 6.7 € per kg of biomass containing 24% TAG (w/w) were found. Several scenarios with reduced production costs were then presented based on the latest biological and technological advances. For instance, much effort should focus on increasing the photosynthetic efficiency during the stress and growth phases, as this is the most influential parameter on production costs (30 and 14% cost reduction from base case). Next, biological and technological solutions should be implemented for a reduction in cooling requirements (10 and 4.5% cost reduction from base case when active cooling is avoided and cooling setpoint is increased, respectively). When implementing all the suggested improvements, production costs can be decreased to 3.3 € per kg of biomass containing 60% TAG (w/w) within the next 8 years.

CONCLUSIONS

With our techno-economic analysis, we indicated a roadmap for a substantial cost reduction. However, microalgal TAGs are not yet cost efficient when compared to their present market value. Cost-competiveness strictly relies on the valorization of the whole biomass components and on cheaper PBR designs (e.g. plastic film flat panels). In particular, further research should focus on the development and commercialization of PBRs where active cooling is avoided and stable operating temperatures are maintained by the water basin in which the reactor is placed.

Improving carbohydrate and starch accumulation in Chlorella sp. AE10 by a novel two-stage process with cell dilution

BACKGROUND

Microalgae are highly efficient cellular factories that capture CO₂ and are also alternative feedstock for biofuel production. Carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are major biochemical components in microalgae. Carbohydrates or starch in microalgae are possible substrates in yeast fermentation for biofuel production. The carbon partitioning in microalgae could be regulated through environmental stresses, such as high concentration of CO₂, high light intensity, and nitrogen starvation conditions. It is essential to obtain carbohydrate-rich microalgae via an optimal bioprocess strategy.

RESULTS

The carbohydrate accumulation in a CO₂ tolerance strain, Chlorella sp. AE10, was investigated with a two-stage process. The CO₂ concentration, light intensity, and initial nitrogen concentration were changed drastically in both stages. During the first stage, it was cultivated over 3 days under 1% CO₂, a photon flux of 100 μmol m^-2 s^-1, and 1.5 g L^-1 NaNO₃. It was cultivated under 10% CO₂, 1000 μmol m^-2 s^-1, and 0.375 g L^-1 NaNO₃ during the second stage. In addition, two operation modes were compared. At the beginning of the second stage of mode 2, cells were diluted to 0.1 g L^-1 and there was no cell dilution in mode 1. The total carbohydrate productivity of mode 2 was increased about 42% compared with that of mode 1. The highest total carbohydrate content and the highest starch content of mode 2 were 77.6% (DW) and 60.3% (DW) at day 5, respectively. The starch productivity was 0.311 g L^-1 day^-1 and the total carbohydrate productivity was 0.421 g L^-1 day^-1 in 6 days.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, a novel two-stage process was proposed for improving carbohydrate and starch accumulation in Chlorella sp. AE10. Despite cell dilution at the beginning of the second stage, environmental stress conditions of high concentration of CO₂, high light intensity, and limited nitrogen concentration at the second stage were critical for carbohydrate and starch accumulation. Although the cells were diluted, the growths were not inhibited and the carbohydrate productivity was improved. These results were helpful to establish an integrated approach from CO₂ capture to biofuel production by microalgae.

Algal Cell Factories: Approaches, Applications, and Potentials

With the advent of modern biotechnology, microorganisms from diverse lineages have been used to produce bio-based feedstocks and bioactive compounds. Many of these compounds are currently commodities of interest, in a variety of markets and their utility warrants investigation into improving their production through strain development. In this review, we address the issue of strain improvement in a group of organisms with strong potential to be productive “cell factories”: the photosynthetic microalgae. Microalgae are a diverse group of phytoplankton, involving polyphyletic lineage such as green algae and diatoms that are commonly used in the industry. The photosynthetic microalgae have been under intense investigation recently for their ability to produce commercial compounds using only light, CO₂, and basic nutrients. However, their strain improvement is still a relatively recent area of work that is under development. Importantly, it is only through appropriate engineering methods that we may see the full biotechnological potential of microalgae come to fruition. Thus, in this review, we address past and present endeavors towards the aim of creating productive algal cell factories and describe possible advantageous future directions for the field.

Repeated nitrogen starvation doesn't affect lipid productivity of Chlorococcum littorale

In the present work we wanted to know what happens during time to biomass and lipid productivities of Chlorococcum littorale repeatedly subjected to N-starvation. Experiments were done using repeated cycles of batch-wise N run-out (after 2days N=0). Two different cycles were used: repeated short-starvation (6days of N=0) over a total period of 72days and repeated long-starvation (13days of N=0) over a total period of 75days. Batches (using fresh inocula) were done separately as control. Shorter and longer periods of starvation showed no differences in biomass productivities and PSII quantum yield evolution. The repeated short-starvation-batches showed the same lipid productivities as the control short-starvation batches. Most importantly, the biomass lipid content was the same between control and repeated-batches. Altogether, the results point to C. littorale as a resilient and stable strain, with potential to be used under semi continuous cultivation.

Strain improvement of Chlorella sp. for phenol biodegradation by adaptive laboratory evolution

Microalgae are highly efficient photosynthesis cell factories for CO2 capture, biofuel productions and wastewater treatment. Phenol is a typical environmental contaminant. Microalgae normally have a low tolerance for, and a low degradation rate to, high concentration of phenol. Adaptive laboratory evolution was performed for phenolic wastewater treatment by Chlorella sp. The resulting strain was obtained after 31 cycles (about 95d) under 500mg/L phenol as environmental stress. It could grow under 500mg/L and 700mg/L phenol without significant inhibition. The maximal biomass concentrations of the resulting strain at day 8 were 3.40g/L under 500mg/L phenol and 2.70g/L under 700mg/L phenol, respectively. They were more than two times of those of the original strain. In addition, 500mg/L phenol was fully removed by the resulting strain in 7d when the initial cell density was 0.6g/L.

Improving high carbon dioxide tolerance and carbon dioxide fixation capability of Chlorella sp. by adaptive laboratory evolution

CO2 capture by microalgae is a promising method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is critical to construct a highly efficient way to obtain a microalgal strain tolerant to high CO2 concentrations with high CO2 fixation capability. In this study, two evolved Chlorella sp. strains, AE10 and AE20 were obtained after 31 cycles of adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) under 10% and 20% CO2, respectively. Both of them grew rapidly in 30% CO2 and the maximal biomass concentration of AE10 was 3.68±0.08g/L, which was 1.22 and 2.94 times to those of AE20 and original strain, respectively. The chlorophyll contents of AE10 and AE20 were significantly higher than those of the original one under 1-30% CO2. The influences of ALE process on biochemical compositions of Chlorella cells were also investigated. This study proved that ALE was an effective approach to improve high CO2 tolerance of Chlorella sp.

Efficient production of pullulan using rice hull hydrolysate by adaptive laboratory evolution of Aureobasidium pullulans

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans CCTCC M 2012259 using rice hull hydrolysate as the carbon source was conducted. The acetic acid in the hydrolysate was demonstrated to exert a negative effect on pullulan biosynthesis. Instead of employing expensive methods to remove acetic acid from the hydrolysate, a mutant A. pullulans ARH-1 was isolated following 20 cycles of adaptive laboratory evolution of the parental strain on medium containing acetic acid. The maximum pullulan production achieved by the adapted mutant at 48 h using the hydrolysate of untreated rice hull was 22.2 g L(-1), while that obtained by the parental strain at 60 h was 15.6 g L(-1). The assay of key enzymes associated with pullulan biosynthesis revealed that acetic acid inhibited enzyme activity rather than suppressing enzyme synthesis. These results demonstrated that adaptive evolution highly improved the efficiency of pullulan production by A. pullulans using the hydrolysate of untreated rice hull.

Biotechnological production of value-added carotenoids from microalgae: Emerging technology and prospects

We recently evaluated the relationship between abiotic environmental stresses and lutein biosynthesis in the green microalga Dunaliella salina and suggested a rational design of stress-driven adaptive evolution experiments for carotenoids production in microalgae. Here, we summarize our recent findings regarding the biotechnological production of carotenoids from microalgae and outline emerging technology in this field. Carotenoid metabolic pathways are characterized in several representative algal species as they pave the way for biotechnology development. The adaptive evolution strategy is highlighted in connection with enhanced growth rate and carotenoid metabolism. In addition, available genetic modification tools are described, with emphasis on model species. A brief discussion on the role of lights as limiting factors in carotenoid production in microalgae is also included. Overall, our analysis suggests that light-driven metabolism and the photosynthetic efficiency of microalgae in photobioreactors are the main bottlenecks in enhancing biotechnological potential of carotenoid production from microalgae.