Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Cultivation of Green Microalgae in Bubble Column Photobioreactors and an Assay for Neutral Lipids
Published on: January 7, 2019
Development of a high-productivity, halophilic, thermotolerant microalga Picochlorum renovo
Lukas R Dahlin1, Alida T Gerritsen2, Calvin A Henard3
11Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401 USA.
Abstract:
Microalgae are promising biocatalysts for applications in sustainable fuel, food, and chemical production. Here, we describe culture collection screening, down-selection, and development of a high-productivity, halophilic, thermotolerant microalga, Picochlorum renovo. This microalga displays a rapid growth rate and high diel biomass productivity (34 g m-2 day-1), with a composition well-suited for downstream processing. P. renovo exhibits broad salinity tolerance (growth at 107.5 g L-1 salinity) and thermotolerance (growth up to 40 °C), beneficial traits for outdoor cultivation. We report complete genome sequencing and analysis, and genetic tool development suitable for expression of transgenes inserted into the nuclear or chloroplast genomes. We further evaluate mechanisms of halotolerance via comparative transcriptomics, identifying novel genes differentially regulated in response to high salinity cultivation. These findings will enable basic science inquiries into control mechanisms governing Picochlorum biology and lay the foundation for development of a microalga with industrially relevant traits as a model photobiology platform.
Related Concept Videos
Green Algae
Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria
Red Algae
Other Algae
Diversity of Archaea III
Hyperthermophilic Bacteria

