Value-added chemicals production by co-cultivation of yeast and microalgae

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18KK0413
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (A))
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 27040:Biofunction and bioprocess engineering-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefecture University
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Ryosuke 大阪府立大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (40608626)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2020
• Keywords: 緑藻 / 微細藻類 / 大腸菌 / 酵母 / 共培養 / 代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Against the background of environmental problems such as depletion of oil resources and global warming, the technology to produce biomass resources and useful chemicals from CO2 using algae has been attracting attention. In this study, we aimed to improve the growth capacity of algae by co-culturing algae and E. coli.
By co-culturing algae and E. coli, we succeeded in increasing the growth capacity of algae by 1.9 times. It was also found that the growth of algae was enhanced during co-culture for the following reasons: 1) E. coli consumes O2, 2) E. coli produces CO2, and 3) E. coli produces a form of nitrogen source that is readily available to algae.

Free Research Field

生物化学工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、CO2が希薄な条件下において、緑藻および大腸菌を共培養することで、緑藻の増殖能が向上すること、およびその原因を明らかにした。緑藻および大腸菌は、全ゲノムが解読されている、遺伝子組換えが容易である、遺伝子組換えにより種々の有用物質を生産可能である等の特徴を有する。従って、本研究成果は、緑藻および大腸菌を用い、希薄なCO2から、種々の有用物質を高効率に生産する技術へと発展させることが期待できる。