Algal biotechnology: facts, fiction and future prospects John G Day - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Algal biotechnology: facts, fiction and future prospects

John G Day

Coordination Centre: Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland T: +44 (0)1631 559000 F: +44 (0)1631 559001 E: biomara@sams.ac.uk W: www.biomara.org

Why bother with Algae?

• Algae are debatably the most diverse

group of organisms on earth

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!

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

Algal exploitation: Historical perspective

Seaweed being harvested in 19th century for use as a fertiliser

Phyco‐colloids

Agar 7,500 tonnes of agar with a wholesale value

• f US$250 million.

Alginates >$120M excluding China Carrageenan > 50,000 tonnes in 2007/8 with a value of

• ver US$600 million

(excluding China)

More than 20 species are used in everyday cookery in Japan, six

• f them since the 8th

century. Seaweed accounts for some 10%

• f the

Japanese diet Most important food species in Japan are Nori (Porphyra species), Kombu (Laminaria species), and Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)

Nori a $1 billion Industry

Seaweed Products

What about Microalgae?

Historical use of algae:

Food-supplement in central Africa & Central America Spirulina /Arthrospira

• Chaetoceros calcitrans
• Isochrysis sp. (Tahitian)
• Nannochloris atomus
• Pavlova lutheri
• Rhinomonas reticulata var.

reticulata

• Skeletonema costatum
• Tetraselmis chui

Thalassiosira pseudonana

Aquaculture a multi- billion $ Industry

Current uses of microalgae

“Witchcraft” Dietary supplements Health foods Neutraceuticals Pigments & specialist chemicals

Microalgae & cyanobacteria COMMERCIALLY exploited and grown at large scale

Chlorella spp Aphanizomenon flos aquae Arthrospira/ Spirulina spp Dunaliella salina Haematococcus pluvialis Cryptothecodinium cohenii

Production systems: Open

Production systems: closed

Future product areas

• Biofuels
• Foods
• Bioactives/

Pharmaceuticals

• Novel enzymes
• Specialist chemicals
• Green fertilizers
• Green insecticides
• Bioremediation

Bioactives: pharmaceuticals

• They are, as yet, a largely unexploited biotechnological

“treasure store”

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?

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

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……. $