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Related Concept Videos

Synthetic Biology02:55

Synthetic Biology

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Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science that involves using principles from disciplines such as engineering, molecular biology, cell biology, and systems biology. It involves remodeling existing organisms from nature or constructing completely new synthetic organisms for applications such as protein or enzyme production, bioremediation, value-added macromolecule production, and the addition of desirable traits to crops, to name a few.
Golden rice
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Red Algae01:23

Red Algae

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Red algae, also known as rhodophytes, are primarily found in marine environments, though some species inhabit freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. These organisms exist in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with some multicellular varieties reaching macroscopic sizes.As phototrophic organisms, red algae contain chlorophyll a; however, their chloroplasts lack chlorophyll b. Instead, they possess phycobiliproteins, which serve as major light-harvesting pigments, similar to those found in...
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Green Algae01:21

Green Algae

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Green algae, also referred to as chlorophytes, are different from red algae in having the chloroplasts containing chlorophylls a and b, which give them their distinct green hue. However, they lack phycobiliproteins, preventing them from developing the red or blue-green pigmentation seen in red algae. In terms of photosynthetic pigment composition, green algae closely resemble plants and share a close evolutionary relationship with them. Taxonomically Green algae belong to Phylum Chlorophyta in...
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Biofuels01:25

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The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...
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Bioreactor Controls-III01:22

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Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...
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Overview of Algae01:28

Overview of Algae

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The kingdom Archaeplastida encompasses red and green algae, along with land plants. Unlike other protists with chloroplasts that arose through secondary endosymbiosis, only red and green algae originated from primary endosymbiotic events. This diverse group of eukaryotic organisms contains chlorophyll and performs oxygenic photosynthesis.Algae exist in various forms, from large brown kelp in coastal waters to green scum in puddles and stains on rocks or soil. Some species are responsible for...
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Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials
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Towards developing algal synthetic biology.

Mark Aden Scaife1, Alison Gail Smith1

  • 1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA U.K. drmscaife@gmail.com as25@cam.ac.uk.

Biochemical Society Transactions
|June 11, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Synthetic biology approaches are advancing microalgal biotechnology. Recent progress in genetic tools and high-throughput methods will enable predictable engineering of microalgae for valuable compound production.

Keywords:
Chlamydomonas reinhardtiiSynthetic biologyindustrial biotechnologymeta datametabolic engineeringrational designtransgene expression

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Area of Science:

  • Microalgal biotechnology
  • Synthetic biology applications
  • Eukaryotic evolution research

Background:

  • Microalgae exhibit significant genetic, physiological, and metabolic diversity, driving research in photosynthesis and evolution.
  • These organisms are explored for producing high-value compounds like fatty acids, pigments, antioxidants, and biodiesel precursors (triacylglycerols - TAGs).
  • Model species like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Phaeodactylum tricornutum have available genetic tools, but rapid, predictable manipulation remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in applying synthetic biology principles to microalgae.
  • To highlight progress in developing robust, predictable, and high-throughput methods for microalgal genetic engineering.
  • To discuss the potential of established synthetic biology workflows for algal systems.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent progress in improving transgene expression in microalgae.
  • Examination of advancements in microalgal genome editing techniques.
  • Identification and design of standard genetic elements ('parts') for microalgae.
  • Application of microfluidics to increase throughput in microalgal research.

Main Results:

  • Significant progress has been made in enhancing transgene expression and genome editing efficiency.
  • Development and identification of standardized genetic parts are crucial for predictable engineering.
  • Microfluidics offers a pathway to significantly increase the throughput of experimental procedures.

Conclusions:

  • Combining improved genetic tools, standard parts, and high-throughput methods will enable algal synthetic biology.
  • Adopting standard parts and workflows will prevent redundant development and leverage existing knowledge from other systems.
  • The establishment of algal synthetic biology promises to accelerate the engineering of microalgae for diverse biotechnological applications.