Algal biotechnology: facts, fiction and future prospects

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Marion Lorin Gaines
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1 Algal biotechnology: facts, fiction and future prospects John G Day Project supported by the INTERREG IVA Programme managed by SEUPB Coordination Centre: Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: biomara@sams.ac.uk W:

2 Why bother with Algae? Algae are debatably the most diverse group of organisms on earth

3 Why bother with Algae? Algae are responsible for the oxygen in every second breath you take They form the basis of the food chain for approx 70% of the worlds biomass Without algae the world dies!

4 If algae are such a big deal, how come we never hear about them?

5 Algal exploitation: Historical perspective Seaweed being harvested in 19th century for use as a fertiliser

6 . Kelp Burning: a biotechnology process from the 18 th & 19 th centuries to produce soda, potash & iodine

7 Phyco colloids Agar 7,500 tonnes of agar with a wholesale value of US$250 million. Alginates >$120M excluding China Carrageenan > 50,000 tonnes in 2007/8 with a value of over US$600 million (excluding China)

8 Alginate: A Natural Chemical with Diverse Uses Alginates are jelly like carbohydrates used for water retention, gelling, emulsifying and stabilising. Used in food, drink, cosmetics, medical and chemical industries Currently there are some 250 applications

9 ISP Alginates Plant, Girvan Girvan one of the world s largest alginate plant

10 Nori a $1 billion Industry More than 20 species are used in everyday cookery in Japan, six of them since the 8th century. Seaweed accounts for some 10% of the Japanese diet Most important food species in Japan are Nori (Porphyra species), Kombu (Laminaria species), and Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)

12 Seaweed Products

13 What about Microalgae?

14 Historical use of algae: Food-supplement in central Africa & Central America Spirullina /Arthrospira

16 Aquaculture a multibillion $ Industry Chaetoceros calcitrans Isochrysis sp. (Tahitian) Nannochloris atomus Pavlova lutheri CCAP Rhinomonas reticulata var. reticulata Skeletonema costatum Tetraselmis chui Thalassiosira pseudonana

17 Current uses of microalgae Witchcraft Dietary supplements Health foods Neutraceuticals Pigments & specialist chemicals

18 Microalgae & cyanobacteria COMMERCIALLY exploited and grown at large scale Chlorella spp Aphanizomenon flos aquae Arthrospira/ Spirullina spp Dunaliella salina Haematococcus pluvialis Cryptothecodinium cohenii

19 Production systems: Open

20 Production systems: closed

21 Future Prospects Industrial needs Pharmaceutical New bio active molecules with novel modes of action / chemical structure (new chemical scaffolds). Need for new drugs (emerging diseases / drug resistance) Nutraceuticals Functional foods (Fatty acids micro algae) heart health, obesity control, immuno health. Probiotics (animal and human) Anti oxidants Industrial Biofuels New sources of enzymes biotransformation of chemicals.new Cosmetics (cosmoceuticals)

22 Future product areas Biofuels Foods Bioactives/ Pharmaceuticals Novel enzymes Specialist chemicals Green fertilizers Green insecticides Bioremediation

23 Bioactives: pharmaceuticals They are, as yet, a largely unexploited biotechnological treasure store

24 Constraints Technological constraints Production systems engineering problems Downstream processing/ product extraction/purification/formulation Production strain productivity Production strain stability Can you protect your IP? Yes Can you afford to defend challenges to your patents? No Can you protect your know-how by some other method? Do not forget the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) & the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)! Are you a BioPirate?

25 Future prospects Algal production- parallels with penicillin production: March 14, 1942 the first patient was treated for streptococcal septicaemia with U.S.-made penicillin used half of the total supply produced. By Spring of 1944 the USA to produce 2.3 million doses in time for the invasion of Normandy. $1000/Kg $100/Kg $10/Kg $1/Kg c/kg

26 Reality check: Market driven or technology driven? Production economics Investment

27 Conclusions: There must be a market need. Production must be reliable AND COST EFFECTIVE. The technology must be robust and reliable. Ideally the technology should be a platform for a suite of products. The technology should be protectable. Get it right and. $

Fuel From Seaweed Project supported by the INTERREG IVA Programme managed by SEUPB

Fuel From Seaweed Project supported by the INTERREG IVA Programme managed by SEUPB Michele Stanley Coordination Centre SAMS, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Argyll, Scotland T: 01631559000 F: 01631559001