Algae as a source of useful materials Flashcards
Martek Biosciences Corporation
Founded in 1985 as a spin-off from Martin Marietta Laboratories
• Focus has been on algae and algal technologies
• Headquartered in Columbia, MD with a fermentation plant in Winchester, KY and Kingstree, SC with offices in CO and PA
• IPO in November 1993
• Acquired OmegaTech in 2002
• Acquired FermPro in 2003
• About 700 people in 2010
• FY10 revenues of >$450 MM
• Acquired by DSM in 2011 for $1.1 B
Microalgae are Diverse
- habitat
- morphology
- cellular organization
- nutritional mode
- biochemistry
The diversity of microalgae presents problems, but it also represents a vast resource of potentially valuable compounds.
Utilize the Special Features of Microalgae
• What do microalgae produce? • What can it be used for? • What products are needed? • Can microalgae fill the need? Large algal culture collection (world’s largest?)
Martek’s Approach to Microalgal Products
• Capitalize on what algae do well, and apply it wherever it is appropriate. • Avoid competing directly with other microorganisms. • Culture algae under highly controllable conditions. • Target products of sufficient value to justify the cost of R&D
Unique Features of Microalgae
• transform inorganic elements into organic compounds via photosynthesis • produce unusual compounds: pigments fatty acids bioactive compounds
Applications of Microalgae
• Stable Isotopically Labeled Biochemical:
13C, 15N, 2H - labeled
compounds
deuterated lubricants
• Medical Diagnostics
13C - breath tests
• Nutritional Products
fatty acids for human and
animal use
• Pigments
• Pharmaceuticals
• Aquaculture feeds
• BiofuelsMicroalgae as a Source of Stable Isotopically Labeled Compounds
Utilize the photosynthetic nature of microalgae to convert inorganic forms of stable isotopes into organic forms.
13CO2, 15NO3-, 2H2O —-photosynthesis—> labeled organic compounds
Requirements
• identify a good producer of the desired compound
• attain efficient isotope incorporation into desired compound (isotopes are expensive)
• utilize a highly controlled, closed culturing system
Microalgae: • Easily handled • Easily cultured • Unicellular • Metabolically flexible • Can be grown in closed systems
Closed Growth System
Photobioreactor
Inputs: – CO2 – Light – H2 Outputs: – H2O – Biomass
- CO2 and light used to make biomass
- H2O produces O2, and H2 used to convert O2 back to H2O
- Control O2 and CO2 levels to minimize photorespiration
Application of Microalgae to Medical Diagnostics: Breath Tests
- The physiological state of a particular organ
can be inferred from the metabolism of a
substrate to CO2 by that organ. - The ideal goal is to diagnose morbidity earlier than other tests or to diagnose a previously undiagnosable disease.
Breath Test Process
Microalgae –> breathe in 13C substrate –> breathe out 13CO2 –> measure the levels
Breath Test Requirements
•Identify a substrate that is metabolized
by only a single organ.
• Identify an algal source of that substrate.
• Differentiate between CO2 produced from
that substrate and CO2 produced from other
substrates by using 13C.
• Quantitate the 13CO2 produced from the
substrate by that organ.
Breath Test Advantages
• Measures metabolic activity of the target organ • Minimally invasive • Can be repeated frequently • Rapid
13C-Galactose Breath Test for
Liver Function
• Identify a good galactose producer
• Optimize growth and galactose production
• Purify the galactose by hydrolysis,
chromatography and crystallization
• Overall: convert 13CO2 into 13C-galactose
Hypothesis: 13C-Galactose Breath Test
The magnitude and/or kinetics of
the appearance of 13CO2
in the breath correlates with the degree
of liver function/dysfunction.
Clinical Protocol
• Overnight fast
Collect initial breath sample.
• Ingest 13C-galactose (100 mgs) and sufficient unlabeled galactose to saturate liver metabolism.
• Collect breath samples periodically for 3-4 hours.
• Analyze 13CO2 content of samples by MS.
Summary
• The 13C-galactose breath test can distinguish between normal subjects and those with liver disease.
• The potential exists to differentiate between different degrees of liver function.
• Challenges:
– conduct multi-center study
– apply for regulatory approval from FDA
– increase physician awareness of the galactose
breath tests
– attain third party reimbursement for the test
Nutritional Products
Microalgae are the principal producers of long chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
22 carbons, 6 double bonds, omega-3
• Prevalent in neural tissue
60% lipid: 25% of the lipid is DHA
• Not synthesized by humans to a large extent, normally acquired through the food chain
• Algae are the principal producers in the biosphere
DHA and Infant Nutrition
• Essential for neural tissue development (brain, eye)
• Human breast milk contains DHA from the food chain
• Commercial formulas don’t contain DHA (until recently)
• DHA correlates with improved mental and visual function in infants (pre-term and term)
• DHA recognized as safe and recommended for inclusion in infant formula
WHO/FAO Expert Committee
European Society for Pediatric
Gastroenterology
British Nutrition Foundation
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Microalgal Producers of DHA
• Produced by many algal groups
• Characteristic fatty acid in dinoflagellates
• DHA present in triglycerides
• Crypthecodinium capable of heterotrophic growth
50% fatty acid in biomass
50% DHA in the fatty acid
DHA Summary
• DHA is an important nutrient for human
growth and development.
• Algae are the principal producers of DHA; other organisms acquire it through the food chain.
• Algal DHA now supplies 99% of US infant formula and about 30% of world-wide infant formula.
Role of Algae and DHA in Aquaculture
- Natural food source and basis of food chain.
- Algae are a diverse group of organisms.
- Wild fish have access to a wide range of algae and algal nutrients.
- Plateaued natural catches and increasing demand for fish has accelerated aquaculture development.
- Farm raised fish (aquaculture) receive a limited algal diet and are often deficient in DHA.
- DHA is important in fish development and when supplied to farm raised fish it will increase the fish yield.
Aquaculture Food Chain
Algae —> Rotifers —> small fish larvae
and
Algae —> Artemia —> larger fish larvae
- DHA is important for growth and development of larval fish.
- DHA is supplied to fish larvae via rotifers and artemia.
Present Questions
• Can the phospholipid waste from oil
processing be useful as a rotifer and artemia
enrichment product?
• How to formulate the DHA-PL for efficient
delivery to rotifers/Artemia without adversely
affecting water quality?
Summary
• DHA is important for the growth and
development of larval fish.
• Waste products from DHA processing can be formulated into aquaculture products.
• Useful products can be made from waste.
Plants and algae as a source of fuels
• Source of Problem
• Increasing demand
• Declining stocks
– Peak oil expected about 2015 (not
any more)
• Increasing crude oil prices
• Global warming/CO2
• What can we do?
• Decrease demand
– US represents 4% of world
population but uses 25%
of the energy consumed daily in the
world
• Develop alternative fuel/energy sources
Process:
sunlight + CO2 (unit of land space) –> Process that uses plant sugars or lipids as inputs –> liquid fuel (ethanol, biodiesel)
Plant Biodiesel
Process:
sunlight + CO2 (photosynthetic plant or algae) –>Harvest plant for
oil/triglyceride (soybeans, corn) –> Extraction and Transesterification to Produce Biodiesel
Diesel and Biodiesel
- Diesel fuel is esters of fatty acids.
- Biodiesel is using biological oil/triglyceride as the starting material to produce fatty acid esters.
- Biodiesel has higher energy content than ethanol, but the use of plant oils competes with food for the triglyceride.
- Use photosynthetic algae to produce triglyceride that can be converted into biodiesel.
Algae Oil to Biodiesel
Grow Algae with High Oil Content –> Harvest Algae –> Extract Oil From Algae –> Transesterification Process
(algal oil + base + alcohol) —>Biodiesel
Fermentor Production of Lipid-Containing
Microorganisms
(Non-photosynthetic approach)
Process:
sunlight + CO2 (sugarcane) –> sucrose –> Fermentation of microorganism to produce triglyceride –> Extraction and Transesterification: Biodiesel
Biofuels
- Ethanol is currently produced from corn starch.
- Ethanol production using cellulose is being developed.
- Biodiesel can be made from vegetable oils, but cost is an issue.
- Avoid having food and fuel competing for the use of vegetable oils.
- Produce microbial oil using sucrose.
- Produce microbial oil using cellulose.
Summary
• Algae are a diverse group of organisms that produce some interesting compounds.
• The unique features of algae can be the basis for new products.
• Algae have application in several fields.
– Stable isotopes
– Nutritional products
– Aquaculture
– Biofuels
• It is possible to make a living with algae!
Which of the following statement(s) is/are
true about DHA?
- DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid.
2.DHA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid.
3.DHA has 22 carbons and 6 double bonds.
4.DHA is a very important compound in the
development of the central nervous
system.
5.DHA was not previously available in
commercial infant formula.
a. all of the above
