The present invention relates to HS-LZ microalgae of the genus Chlorella (Chlorella sp. HS-LZ), which are novel microalgae characterized by being able to produce zeaxanthin and lutein, and uses thereof.

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for extending metabolism of algal biomass or enzyme extracts, including the production and extraction of algal secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical, industrial, and agricultural uses. Aspects of this disclosure relate to production of antimethanogenic compounds from algae and other organisms. The disclosure further relates to compositions comprising antimethanogenic compounds and methods of using the same to reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminate animals. Methods of culturing algae in solutions with oil layers and triggering release of secondary metabolites through stress are also described.

Disclosed herein are mutant photosynthetic microorgnaisms having an attenuated SGI1 gene. The mutants have reduced chlorophyll and increased productivity with respect to wild type cells. Also disclosed are methods of using such mutants for producing biomass or bioproducts, and methods of screening for such mutants.

A method for increasing the yield of eicosapentaenoic acid in Schizochytrium sp., the method comprising: inoculating Schizochytrium sp. ATCC 20888 into a fermentation culture medium, fermenting same under an aerobic condition, changing the temperature when fermenting is performed to the middle of a logarithmic phase, continuing fermenting same, and controlling the dissolved oxygen (DO) value to be 2%-10% after changing the temperature, wherein changing the temperature increases the initial fermentation temperature to 32 C.-37 C. from 25 C.-30 C. EPA is produced by means of fermenting with Schizochytrium sp. ATCC 20888, the dry weight of thalli in the obtained fermentation liquor reaches 66.15 g/L, the yield of oil is 9.97 g/L, and EPA accounts for 13.33% of fatty acid.

A method and modified fermentation intermediate are disclosed for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). The method comprises heat sterilizing a fermentation medium comprising dextrose to produce a heat sterilized fermentation medium, wherein the heat sterilizing converts at least a portion of the dextrose to DP2+ sugars. The method comprises combining the heat sterilized fermentation medium with an enzyme capable of converting DP2+ sugars to dextrose, thereby producing a modified heat sterilized fermentation medium comprising more dextrose and less DP+ 2 sugars than without combining the medium with the enzyme. The modified heat sterilized fermentation intermediate may be placed in contact with a microorganism to produce PUFA, wherein the microorganism is capable of utilizing dextrose to produce PUFA.

A method for producing a microbial oil includes steps of: genetically modifying a labyrinthulid by disrupting and/or silencing a gene, or by transforming another gene in addition to the disruption and/or gene silencing of the gene, and culturing the labyrinthulid, such that a fatty acid composition accumulated in the labyrinthulid comprises an increased EPA content; and collecting the microbial oil having the increased EPA content from the labyrinthulid. The labyrinthulid before the modification is selected from (A) a labyrinthulid belonging to the genus Parietichytrium or genus Schizochytrium and having very weak or no activity of producing PUFAs via a PUFA-PKS pathway; and (B) a labyrinthulid belonging to the genus Thraustochytrium in which a host PUFA-PKS gene is disrupted or silenced to a very weak level. The increased EPA content is preferably not less than 11.5% of a total fatty acid composition.

A microalgal strain of the species Nannochloropsis gaditana is characterized by a mutation of an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll that changes the physiology thereof with respect to the wild-type strain of the same species. In particular, with the mutation, microalgae are formed which, with respect to the wild-type strain of the same species, have a lower chlorophyll content and a reduced capacity to absorb visible radiation (light). Further, a process for the production of lipids through the cultivation of the mutated Nannochloropsis gaditana strain and the lipids obtained can be used as synthesis intermediates, particularly in the so-called green-chemistry sector or in the production of biofuels.

The present invention relates to recombinant cyanobacterial cells for the production of a chemical compound of interest. In particular, the present invention relates to genetic modifications that introduce one or more heterologous phosphopantetheinyl transferases (PPTases) into a cyanobacterial cell. These cells can, optionally, further comprise heterologous carrier protein and nucleic acid constructs that provide the cyanobacterial cells with the capability of producing chemicals of interest or compounds of interest, such secondary metabolites polyketides, nonribosomal peptides and their hybrids, the three major families of bioactive natural products, of cyanobacteria and other bacterial phyla, secondary metabolites analogs, and unnatural compounds.

The invention involves the provision of recombinant algal mutants that have a genetic modification to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a trehalose biosynthetic enzyme, and/or a genetic modification to a nucleic acid encoding an RNA binding domain And in some embodiments either of these algal mutants can further have a genetic mutation to a nucleic acid sequence encoding an SGI1 polypeptide. Attenuation of one, two, or all three of these genes results in a mutant organism with increased lipid productivity. It was also discovered that one, two, three, or more genetic mutations can be accumulated or stacked in a particular mutant cell or organism to result in further increases in the production of lipid products. The lipid products of these mutants are useful as biofuels or for other specialty chemical products.

Disclosed herein is a method for separating a protein from a microorganism comprising a cell wall. Further compositions comprising a first fraction, a second fraction or both, derived from a microorganism comprising a cell wall and comprising a protein content between 10% and 90% by weight of the fraction, are also disclosed.