The present disclosure relates to strains of Thraustochytrium genus, including a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and a method of producing a biomass using the same. According to the novel CJM01 microalgae of Thraustochytrium genus of the present disclosure, the content of lipids in the biomass and the content of unsaturated fatty acid such as docosahexaenoic acid in the biomass are high, so that the microalgae itself, a biomass produced by the culturing and fermentation of microalgae, a condensate of the biomass, and a dried product of the biomass are very useful as a feed composition.

Culturing S. glucoliberatum PABB004 under conditions effective for the S. glucoliberatum PABB004 to secrete simple sugars into culture medium. In one or more embodiments, the conditions include a pH of 6.0 to 8.5. In some cases, the culture can include a second organism. A co-culture includes S. glucoliberatum PABB004 and a second organism, wherein the co-culture has a pH of 6.0 or greater. In one or more embodiments, the second organism is selected to produce a product of interest such as, for example, ethanol.

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 method of producing lipids, containing the steps of: culturing an alga in which expression of a gene encoding a protein containing a thioredoxin domain and a thioredoxin reductase domain is enhanced, and producing fatty acids or lipids containing the same as components.

The invention provides methods of transforming photosynthetic organisms, such as green algae. The methods involve methylating one or more DNA fragments of a DNA construct and transforming the one or more fragments into the photosynthetic organism. The DNA fragments can be the product of a DNA amplification procedure, such as PCR or a PCR-like procedure. In one embodiment the one or more fragments of DNA that comprise a DNA construct are dam methylated prior to being transformed into the photosynthetic organism.

Provided herein are fermentation methods that improve the nutritional value and physical properties of microbial oil. Specifically, provided is a method of producing oil with increased omega-7 fatty acids. The method comprises culturing oil-producing microorganisms in a fermentation medium with less than 0.3 mg/L zinc, wherein the culturing produces an oil comprising fatty acids, wherein the oil comprises increased omega-7 fatty acids compared to a control oil. Optionally, the oil is isolated from the microorganisms of the culture.

Culturing S. glucoliberatum PABB004 under conditions effective for the S. glucoliberatum PABB004 to secrete simple sugars into culture medium. In one or more embodiments, the conditions include a pH of 6.0 to 8.5. In some cases, the culture can include a second organism. A co-culture includes S. glucoliberatum PABB004 and a second organism, wherein the co-culture has a pH of 6.0 or greater. In one or more embodiments, the second organism is selected to produce a product of interest such as, for example, ethanol.

A material with a scaffold comprising a series of at least partially spaced fibers and gas vesicles locates between fibers. The gas vesicles comprise external anchoring modules that are effective to anchor the gas vesicles to the fibers.

An assembly, methods, and network for farming and culturing green microalgae (Haematococcus pluvialis) are disclosed, comprising: a mechanical support framework; a plurality of cultivation pouches, mechanically coupled to the mechanical support framework, having arrays of cultivation pouches where green microalgae (H. pluvialis) are cultured and harvested; a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), mechanically coupled and supported by the mechanical support framework and arranged in between two of any adjacent arrays of cultivation pouches, operable to provide a predetermined light intensities to each of the cultivation pouches; and an air and gas supply and distribution unit, mechanically coupled and supported by the mechanical support framework, operable to supply predetermined amounts of air and carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) to each of the green microalgae pouches.

The present invention can: efficiently and readily produce glucose from microalgae that accumulate starch in their cells; and obtain ethanol. During a preparation step of the glucose production method, microalgae are prepared on which a saccharifying enzyme acts on starch accumulated inside the microalgae cells, without disrupting the cell walls. In a saccharification step, starch inside the cells is saccharified and glucose is generated, by adding a saccharifying enzyme to the microalgae without a disruption treatment. The ethanol production method has a step in which, after the saccharification step, the glucose undergoes alcoholic fermentation and ethanol is generated.