Biotech Updates

Lipid production by a Fungi and Genetically Modified Cyanobacteria Combination

November 11, 2015
http://www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com/content/8/1/179

Fungal-assisted bioflocculation is gaining increasing attention due to its efficiency and low energy inputs in harvesting microalgae for biofuel production.

The work of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University researchers, led by Ana F. Miranda, demonstrates that the filamentous fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus can efficiently flocculate the cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC 6803 and its genetically modified derivatives that secrete free fatty acids into the growth media.

The free fatty acids secreted by genetically modified Synechocystis are used by the A. fumigatus cells as a carbon source for growth and production of lipids. For most of the genetically modified strains, the total lipid yields extracted from the fungi-cyanobacteria pellets were higher than the combined lipid yields produced by A. fumigatus and Synechocystis when grown separately.

Fungi-assisted flocculation can complement and assist in large scale production from wild-type and genetically modified Synechocystis PCC 6803 strains.