Scientists have discovered a sexual reproduction process in microalgae that helps them better understand algae and plant evolution. Their discovery could lead to new industrial applications for microalgae, ranging from wastewater treatment to production of food ingredients and pigments.
October 3, 2022
Scientists have discovered a sexual reproduction process in microalgae that helps them better understand algae and plant evolution. Their discovery could lead to new industrial applications for microalgae, ranging from wastewater treatment to production of food ingredients and pigments.
The Japanese research team published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of October 3, 2022.
The team conducted their studies on Galdieria, a unicellular species of red microalgae found in sulfuric acid hot springs around the world and expected to be an important nutrition source for humans. Microalgae possess a high carbon dioxide fixation capacity. This fixation is the process by which the carbon dioxide is changed into organic compounds. Microalgae’s fixation capacity is higher than plants and microalgae contain higher concentrations of proteins, vitamins, and pigments. In recent years, researchers and businesses have been working to develop the quick-growing Galdieria as an industrial source of vitamins and pigments.
Galdieria is quite versatile, capable of making its own energy through photosynthesis, using light and carbon dioxide. It uses a mix of different sources of energy and carbon and obtains its nutrients by consuming extracellular sugars or sugar alcohols.
