Elucidation and utilization of methane symbiosis system including algae

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06234
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 40040:Aquatic life science-related
• Research Institution: Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Aikawa Shimpei 国立研究開発法人国際農林水産業研究センター, 生物資源・利用領域, 主任研究員 (40567252)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 微細藻類 / メタン酸化菌 / 物質生産

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objectives of this study were to "prove a symbiotic system consisting of methane-oxidizing bacteria and microalgae" and "propose a material production technology using the symbiotic system. Microalgae growth was confirmed when water samples were collected from a domestic methane gas generating environment and cultured under conditions in which methane was the sole carbon source. In addition, metagenome analysis confirmed the growth of microalgae and methane-oxidizing bacteria. Furthermore, microalgae and methane-oxidizing bacteria grown in a methane environment were successfully separated, and it became clear that growth is promoted when microalgae are co-cultured in a methane environment. In the future, it is expected that the production of substances from methane by methane-oxidizing bacteria and microalgae will become possible through the advancement of the co-culture system.

Free Research Field

水圏生命科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

メタン酸化菌と微細藻類は生育環境が近いにもかかわらず、これまでその生物間相互作用ついて言及されていない。これは両者が一般的に広く生息している微生物であること、網羅的な微生物相解析において微細藻類と細菌類を同時に対象としないことが原因であると考えられる。メタン酸化菌と微細藻類から成るメタン共生系を明らかにすることは、「メタン循環メカニズムの一端の解明」につながるため、学術的に重要であると共に、メタン共生系を活用した温暖化抑制技術やメタンからの物質生産技術などの「バイオテクノロジーの基盤」としても有望である。