17-ERACoBioTech: MicroalgaE as Renewable Innovative green cell facTories
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Plant Sciences
Abstract
This project [MERIT] sets out to leverage state of the art techniques to develop microalgae for the sustainable production of high-value, medically and industrially relevant molecules from carbon dioxide and light. Specifically, MERIT will focus on the production of twenty carbon containing (C20) molecules, known as diterpenoids. These are complex metabolites found largely in plants, and whose variety and complexity have made them incredibly interesting for numerous applications such as medicines, antimicrobial agents, and high-value chemicals. The complex structures of diterpenoids are difficult and costly to synthesize chemically and can be expensive or inefficient to purify from their native host organisms.
All organisms produce the same 5-carbon building blocks used in diterpenoid production pathways. By introducing these production pathways between species, we can produce non-native diterpenoids in engineered hosts (e.g. bacteria, yeast or microalgae). Production of diterpenoid products in fermentative hosts (e.g. yeast) has become a mature technology, however, relies on unsustainable use of organic carbon sources such as glucose and inherently competes for agricultural resources. Microalgae, however, are naturally optimized to produce precursor molecules needed to make diterpenoids, as these same molecules are used for harvesting light and for generation of antioxidant pigments in the cell. Algae hold the additional benefit of rapid growth rates in simple mineral salt solutions using only light and CO2 as energy inputs. These organisms are ideal hosts for the production of diterpenes and are inherently sustainable production chassis.
By introducing different enzymes that convert precursor molecules into the numerous carbon skeletons of diterpenoid products algal cells can be engineered to serve as diterpenoid production hosts. Additional engineering of these algal cells through introduction of enzymes that add oxygen molecules into the diterpene backbones will allow the algae to produce specialized diterpene structures, which often have medicinal properties. To date, engineering of microalgae to accumulate new non-native enzymes has been a major limiting factor to their widespread application as green-cell factories for complex biotechnological targets. Combining strain domestication with synthetic biology (an emerging discipline that uses engineering principles to design and assemble biological components) has recently been demonstrated to facilitate advanced engineering of these highly promising organisms. In this project, an international team representing global leaders in algal synthetic biology, outdoor algal cultivation, photobioreactor design, and process modelling, will join forces to drive forward the development of algal cell factories. The MERIT team already successfully engineered pathways for the production of several diterpenoids in microalgae. Multiple levels of strain engineering and synthetic biology will be implemented to create green-cell factories with enhanced carbon flow from CO2 to diterpenoids. Various enzymes will be combined to produce novel 'new-to-nature' diterpenoid products with potential for numerous applications. Optimized strains will be grown to scale and processes for extraction of the products will be designed. The project will generate many new avenues of commercialization potential and significantly contribute to the development of the European Bioeconomy.
All organisms produce the same 5-carbon building blocks used in diterpenoid production pathways. By introducing these production pathways between species, we can produce non-native diterpenoids in engineered hosts (e.g. bacteria, yeast or microalgae). Production of diterpenoid products in fermentative hosts (e.g. yeast) has become a mature technology, however, relies on unsustainable use of organic carbon sources such as glucose and inherently competes for agricultural resources. Microalgae, however, are naturally optimized to produce precursor molecules needed to make diterpenoids, as these same molecules are used for harvesting light and for generation of antioxidant pigments in the cell. Algae hold the additional benefit of rapid growth rates in simple mineral salt solutions using only light and CO2 as energy inputs. These organisms are ideal hosts for the production of diterpenes and are inherently sustainable production chassis.
By introducing different enzymes that convert precursor molecules into the numerous carbon skeletons of diterpenoid products algal cells can be engineered to serve as diterpenoid production hosts. Additional engineering of these algal cells through introduction of enzymes that add oxygen molecules into the diterpene backbones will allow the algae to produce specialized diterpene structures, which often have medicinal properties. To date, engineering of microalgae to accumulate new non-native enzymes has been a major limiting factor to their widespread application as green-cell factories for complex biotechnological targets. Combining strain domestication with synthetic biology (an emerging discipline that uses engineering principles to design and assemble biological components) has recently been demonstrated to facilitate advanced engineering of these highly promising organisms. In this project, an international team representing global leaders in algal synthetic biology, outdoor algal cultivation, photobioreactor design, and process modelling, will join forces to drive forward the development of algal cell factories. The MERIT team already successfully engineered pathways for the production of several diterpenoids in microalgae. Multiple levels of strain engineering and synthetic biology will be implemented to create green-cell factories with enhanced carbon flow from CO2 to diterpenoids. Various enzymes will be combined to produce novel 'new-to-nature' diterpenoid products with potential for numerous applications. Optimized strains will be grown to scale and processes for extraction of the products will be designed. The project will generate many new avenues of commercialization potential and significantly contribute to the development of the European Bioeconomy.
Technical Summary
The MERIT project will leverage state of the art synthetic biology techniques to engineer microalgae for the sustainable production of high-value, medically and industrially relevant novel diterpenoid products, branched hydrocarbons derived from the C20 isoprenoid intermediate geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). The variety and complexity of these compounds, largely confined to plants, offer potential for numerous applications such as medicines, antimicrobial agents, and high-value chemicals, but their complexity also means they are difficult and costly to synthesize chemically, and can be expensive or inefficient to purify from their native host organisms. Heterologous expression of modular terpene synthase pathways can be used to produce non-native terpenoids in engineered bacteria and yeasts, but this relies on the use of fixed carbon from plants, and thus competes for agricultural resources. Microalgae, as photosynthetic organisms, are inherently more sustainable. Moreover, they are naturally optimized to produce GGPP for chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis. In this project we will establish a synthetic biology platform of standard parts and workflows to facilitate expression of various permutations of diterpenoid biosynthesis enzymes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Diterpene synthases and cytochrome P450s from various plant sources will be combined to produce novel 'new-to-nature' diterpenoid products and rates of production assessed in the laboratory. Optimized strains will be grown at pilot scale, and processes for diterpene product extraction designed. The data will be used to conduct life cycle and techno-economic assessments of the pipeline to identify potential bottlenecks for further optimization.
Planned Impact
The outputs of the proposed research will be of major benefit to realizing the potential of microalgae as new industrial biotechnology platforms. There is considerable interest in Europe and globally in developing an algal biotech sector, both at the level of policy makers and research funders, but also industry. Microalgae offer the advantage of being photosynthetic, so by using sunlight to photosynthesise, their use as production systems means they may be more sustainable than conventional fermentation hosts such as bacteria and yeasts. However unlike plants, they can be grown on marginal land or in contained facilities, and so do not compete with food production.
In this project, an international team of experts in algal synthetic biology, cultivation, and industrial process modelling, will join forces to design a system for light-driven conversion of CO2 to high-value diterpenoid products. Multiple levels of strain engineering and synthetic biology will be implemented to create green-cell factories with enhanced carbon flow from CO2 to terpenoids, including 'new-to-nature' compounds. These compounds have potential uses in the chemical as well as pharmaceutical industries, and are not accessible by classical chemical synthesis. Thus the project will contribute to a continuation and stimulation of research and development for a European Knowledge Based Bio Economy.
In parallel, work will be carried out to improve phototrophic productivity, which will increase the competitiveness of microalgal production schemes compared to those relying on the use of heterotrophic microorganisms, whose cultivation requires crop plant-derived organic carbon sources and competes for resources with food production. The involvement of industrial partners will facilitate moving through stages of technology readiness to the prospect of commercialization within 5-10 years.
The interdisciplinary nature of MERIT will ensure the training of highly skilled researchers and support personnel, who will provide the future workforce to underpin development of a bioeconomy in Europe. The involvement of industrial partners will ensure cross-sectoral integration, improving and enabling knowledge transfer.
All scientific results emerging from this project shall be published in international peer-reviewed journals as well as presented at international conferences, as soon as the partners have evaluated these and permission for dissemination has been given. Knowledge generated will be made available to the scientific community at conferences and dedicated workshops. Besides publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals, MERIT will also consult the project officer in charge in order to publish interesting results in journals published by the European commission (e.g. Horizon Magazine).
A project website will be jointly established by the scientific administration assistant so that all the universities involved can present the project and results, both for other scientists and professionals, including industry, and the general public (see Stakeholder table). This website will also contain information on the molecular tools and protocols developed in the project.
The MERIT communication plan aims to inform and initiate a dialogue with four distinct priority stakeholders including industrial stakeholders, EU citizens, University students and High school teachers about the MERIT project and its results (see Stakeholder table). Overall communication activities within MERIT aim at increasing the stakeholder`s awareness for the great innovation potential of microalgae as sustainable green cell factories. This increased awareness of stakeholders, especially of those belonging to the business sector, will foster the development of a sustainable European bio-based economy by including microalgae into the portfolio of established industrial microorganisms.
In this project, an international team of experts in algal synthetic biology, cultivation, and industrial process modelling, will join forces to design a system for light-driven conversion of CO2 to high-value diterpenoid products. Multiple levels of strain engineering and synthetic biology will be implemented to create green-cell factories with enhanced carbon flow from CO2 to terpenoids, including 'new-to-nature' compounds. These compounds have potential uses in the chemical as well as pharmaceutical industries, and are not accessible by classical chemical synthesis. Thus the project will contribute to a continuation and stimulation of research and development for a European Knowledge Based Bio Economy.
In parallel, work will be carried out to improve phototrophic productivity, which will increase the competitiveness of microalgal production schemes compared to those relying on the use of heterotrophic microorganisms, whose cultivation requires crop plant-derived organic carbon sources and competes for resources with food production. The involvement of industrial partners will facilitate moving through stages of technology readiness to the prospect of commercialization within 5-10 years.
The interdisciplinary nature of MERIT will ensure the training of highly skilled researchers and support personnel, who will provide the future workforce to underpin development of a bioeconomy in Europe. The involvement of industrial partners will ensure cross-sectoral integration, improving and enabling knowledge transfer.
All scientific results emerging from this project shall be published in international peer-reviewed journals as well as presented at international conferences, as soon as the partners have evaluated these and permission for dissemination has been given. Knowledge generated will be made available to the scientific community at conferences and dedicated workshops. Besides publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals, MERIT will also consult the project officer in charge in order to publish interesting results in journals published by the European commission (e.g. Horizon Magazine).
A project website will be jointly established by the scientific administration assistant so that all the universities involved can present the project and results, both for other scientists and professionals, including industry, and the general public (see Stakeholder table). This website will also contain information on the molecular tools and protocols developed in the project.
The MERIT communication plan aims to inform and initiate a dialogue with four distinct priority stakeholders including industrial stakeholders, EU citizens, University students and High school teachers about the MERIT project and its results (see Stakeholder table). Overall communication activities within MERIT aim at increasing the stakeholder`s awareness for the great innovation potential of microalgae as sustainable green cell factories. This increased awareness of stakeholders, especially of those belonging to the business sector, will foster the development of a sustainable European bio-based economy by including microalgae into the portfolio of established industrial microorganisms.
People |
ORCID iD |
Alison Smith (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Crozet P
(2018)
Birth of a Photosynthetic Chassis: A MoClo Toolkit Enabling Synthetic Biology in the Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
in ACS synthetic biology
Geisler K
(2021)
Exploring the Impact of Terminators on Transgene Expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a Synthetic Biology Approach.
in Life (Basel, Switzerland)
Jackson HO
(2021)
The Algal Chloroplast as a Testbed for Synthetic Biology Designs Aimed at Radically Rewiring Plant Metabolism.
in Frontiers in plant science
Llavero-Pasquina M
(2022)
Thiamine metabolism genes in diatoms are not regulated by thiamine despite the presence of predicted riboswitches.
in The New phytologist
Nimmo I
(2018)
Genetic transformation of the dinoflagellate chloroplast
Description | We have established a set of standard DNA 'parts' that can be used to modify the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (a marine microalga) to produce diterpenoids - chemicals that might have medicinal or cosmetic applications. The standard parts and workflows means that we can explore combinations in a high-throughput manner, enabling us to screen large numbers of possible ways to manipulate the metabolism of Phaeodactylum. We have used these tools to generate strains of Phaeodactylum that are expressing genes from plants encoding enzymes for the biosynthesis of diterpenoids that are starting material for medicinal compounds. We have sent the strains to our partners who have shown that they can scale up production and extract the products effectively. We are currently testing whether we can scale up under natural (outdoor) conditions. We have published two papers from this work and have two more in preparation |
Exploitation Route | Our partners on the project will be using the standard parts in their experiments. We also intend to produce a kit of the parts that will be available to the wider community of academic and industrial researchers in this area |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
Description | COVALENT MODIFICATION AND REGULATION OF PROTEINS BY CO2 USING CHLAMYDOMONAS AS A MODEL SYSTEM |
Amount | $1,050,000 (USD) |
Funding ID | RGP0058/2020 |
Organisation | Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | France |
Start | 09/2020 |
End | 09/2023 |
Description | Optimizing lipid production and in-situ extraction in biofilm immobilized microalgae |
Amount | SFr. 2,303,949 (CHF) |
Funding ID | CRSII5_198750 / 1 |
Organisation | Swiss National Science Foundation |
Sector | Public |
Country | Switzerland |
Start | 09/2021 |
End | 09/2025 |
Description | Phyconet-DEFRA Importing non-native algae - clarifying UK legal requirements for the biotechnology industr |
Amount | £23,610 (GBP) |
Funding ID | Phyconet DEFRA |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2018 |
End | 07/2018 |
Title | MoClo Toolkit for Chlamydomonas |
Description | A kit of 119 standard DNA parts that can be used for Golden Gate (Modular Cloning, MoClo) cloning to prepare constructs for genetic modification of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. |
Type Of Material | Biological samples |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The kit is freely available to the community (for a small distribution fee) and should enable much more rapid preparation of clones and then easy comparison between results from different groups |
Description | Microbial consortia for lipid production |
Organisation | University of Bern |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We are algal molecular biologists/biotechnologists and are contributing the biological expertise to set up biofilms in reactors developed by our Bern colleagues. In addition, a lab in Chemistry in Cambridge is studying the light delivery to the biofilms, and another lab at ETH Zurich is determining ways to extract the lipids from the algal cells using pulsed electric fields |
Collaborator Contribution | Our Bern colleagues are developing photobioreactors in which to grow biofilms of microalgae, together with other microbes. In addition, a lab in Chemistry in Cambridge is studying the light delivery to the biofilms, and another lab at ETH Zurich is determining ways to extract the lipids from the algal cells using pulsed electric fields |
Impact | None as yet |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | AS gave a seminar to Festival of Genomics & Biodata |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | AS gave a seminar to Festival of Genomics & Biodata entitled 'Using Synthetic Biology to Develop Algal Production Platforms for High Value Compounds'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/events/festival-of-genomics-2021/ |
Description | AS gave a talk at SymBLS21 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | AS gave a talk entitled 'Synthetic Biology Approaches to Developing Microalgal Production Platforms' at SymBLS21, a student-led research conference for postgraduates in Life Sciences at the University of Cambridge. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | AS gave a talk at the 2nd Biodesign Research Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | AS gave a talk at the 2nd Biodesign Research Conference entitled Redesigning the Chlamydomonas chloroplast genome' to an audience from across biological and engineering disciplines, both academics and industrialists. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.biodesign-conference.com/2021/ |
Description | AS gave a talk to AlgaEurope 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | AS gave a talk entitled 'Coming into the light - from synthetic biology in the lab to growing transgenic algae at scale in the Algal Innovation Centre' to AlgaEurope 2021, the major conference for the algal biotech sector in Europe. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://algaeurope.org/ |
Description | AS gave a talk to PhD students on AgriForwards CDT in Cambridge. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | AS gave a talk entitled 'Algae for Food - enhancing nutritional value and reducing waste' to students on the AgriForwards Centre for Doctoral Training in agritech at the University of Cambridge. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtO8RRcNaQA&list=PLITP3sTC3oh2wL-aPLEQy1ON68AOzW10E&index=5 |
Description | EIT-Food INSPIRE Summer school |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | PM co-organised EIT-Food INSPIRE Summer school on Sustainable aquaculture and presented a talk at the EIT-Food INSPIRE Summer school |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.eitfood.eu/education/courses/inspire-sustainable-aquaculture |
Description | EIT-Food professional course on Algae Biotechnology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A 3-day workshop open to postgraduate, postdoctorate and industry researchers new to algae biotechnology. Opportunities for networking and training, leading to increase entrepreneurial activity in the sector |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.eitfood.eu/education/courses/algae-biotechnology |
Description | GM presented a poster at the Synthetic Biology UK 2021 conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | GM presented a scientific poster entitled "Engineering 5'UTRs to enhance gene expression in a green alga" on the 22-23 of November in Nottingham, UK. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=53019&ef_sel_menu=703&eventID=1... |
Description | KG Talk at AlgaeEurope 2020 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the event was held online in 2020. Around 250 researchers, industry and business partner with interests in algae biotechnology joined the four-day event. We gave a talk presenting the research in the lab and attended a Q&A session afterwards. Discussions with ongoing partners (e.g. Algenuity) and new partners continued throughout the event. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://algaeurope.org/participants-information/?utm_campaign=2911&utm_source=enormail&utm_medium=em... |
Description | KG conference talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | KG gave a presentation entitled "Synthetic biology approaches to developing microalgal production platforms." at the 6th German Association for Synthetic Biology conference. The conference took place at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research Würzburg, Germany. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://gasb.de/events/gasb-conference/ |
Description | KG gave talk at Molecular Life of Diatoms Satellite meeting, Norwich, UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The main Molecular Life of Diatoms conference was accompanied by a satellite meeting on Friday the 19th of July, which focused on important technical advances in diatoms genome editing including methods development, mutant collections, plasmid and data deposition. We presented data on the MoClo syntax and he Golden Gate cloning system that we and others are developing for algae. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://meetings.embo.org/event/19-diatoms |
Description | KG presented a poster at the Metabolic Engineering 14 Conference, 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Discussions about research results. Updating community on developments on synbio parts. Plans made for future related research activities |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://whova.com/web/biolo_202107/ |
Description | KG presented a talk at the 10th International CeBiTec Research Conference: Prospects and challenges for the development of algal biotechnology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | KG gave a presentation entitled "Synthetic biology for the controlled production of high-value compounds in Phaeodactylum tricornutum." The conference took place att the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF), Bielefeld University, Germany. Due to COVID restrictions the number of participants was restricted. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de/events/conferences/575-algal-biotech-202 |
Description | Katrin Geisler and Payam Mehrshahi - Lead lecturers for a workshop titled "Expressing transgenes in Chlamydomonas and Phaeodactylum - a guide to commonly used methods for transformation of their nuclear genomes" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Workshop titled "Expressing transgenes in Chlamydomonas and Phaeodactylum - a guide to commonly used methods for transformation of their nuclear genomes" was held on 10th - 11th December. Funding was secured from EIT-Food and AlgaeUK that enabled travel grants to be awarded to delegates from the UK, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Philippines, Brazil, Ghana, and cover their administration and catering costs. The aim of the workshop was to provide hands-on training in use and application of the latest technologies and methodologies for transformation and engineering of the microalgae Chlamydomonas and Phaeodactylum. The format included a daily programme of presentations at the Department of Plant Sciences teaching laboratory introducing delegates to different algal transformation methods, theory of techniques, standard operating procedures and best practices that result in successful transformation of these algae. The delegates were also introduced to the basics of advanced DNA assembly and cloning strategies. During the hands-on sessions delegates had the opportunity to handle, study under the microscope and prepare microalgae before transforming them with transgenes. The programme provided a great opportunity for postgraduate, postdoctorate and researchers to gain training in algal transformation techniques. We expect to run the course again in 2020. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://data.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/PlantMet/index.php/workshop-on-expressing-transgenes-in-chlamydomona... |
Description | Keynote presentation to AlgaEurope 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | AGS gave a keynote address to AlgaEurope 2022, the major conference for the algal biotech sector in Europe |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://algaeurope.org/ |
Description | Oxford Uni BioSoc talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk at student-run science society entitled "Synthetic biology approaches to developing algal biotechnology platforms" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | PDRA Katrin Geisler gave talk at EIT Food course 'Algal Biotechnology Techniques and opportunities for the sustainable bioeconomy 2019' Stuttart, Fraunhofer Institute (Stuttgart, Germany): 12th - 13th November 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Following on from the success of the 2018 course, the aim of this professional development course is to provide introductory hands-on training and theory in algal biology, culturing, growth and subsequent molecular and metabolite analysis under laboratory and small to large scale growth facilities, as well as giving business information and networking opportunities specifically tailored towards the algal bioeconomy. The course takes place in different locations and specialised on different topics. The workshop at the Fraunhofer institute was focused on algal production, harvesting, processing and nutraceuticals and regulation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | PDRA Katrin Geisler presented poster at Molecular Life of Diatoms conference, Norwich, UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Over 200 scientists took part in this EMBP conference from more than 35 countries. It was the 5th Molecular Life of Diatoms Conference. This bi-annual international conference provides a forum for scientists to discuss their latest results in the field of diatom molecular biology from genes to ecosystems. We presented data on synthetic biology and microfluidics approaches that can help in diatom research projects. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://meetings.embo.org/event/19-diatoms |
Description | PM presented a talk at the EIT-Food event "Through the keyhole" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | PM, LA, EH gave joint talk about acitivities in the Algal Innovation Centre. The presentation was titled "Through the Keyhole Algal Innovation Centre" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk/events/through-laboratory-keyhole |
Description | Presentation at Phyconet NIBB annual meeting - Thinking outside the flask - the Algal Innovation Centre in Cambridge |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | It was a networking meeting between academia and industry. As a result we have initiated collaboration with colleagues in an SME in Spain and are providing biological material to a UK SME |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentations at AlgaEurope 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Several posters were presented highlighting our research and R&D activities to the major conference for the algal biotech sector in Europe |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://algaeurope.org/ |
Description | SRA Payam Mehrshahi and Dr Lorraine Archer presented via a video walk-through the Algal Innovation Centre for the EIT food workshop ALGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020 - TECHNIQUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Due to Covid-19 restrictions the EIT Food Professional Development course was redesigned so that 3x 2day courses were combined and presented online once over a two-day course. As the lead organisation, the University of Cambridge team (Payam Mehrshahi, Matthew Davey, Lorraine Archer) produced daily programme of lecture/seminars that brought together leading international experts to introduce the theory of techniques, SOPs best practice and live demonstration of equipment and facilities. The course offered insights and examples from an industrial and entrepreneurial perspective, that helped the participants to start or improve their own algal-based business. The video walk-through of the Algal Innovation Centre at the University of Cambridge was designed by Payam and Lorraine to reflect the wide range of research involving algae that is carried out in the university and in this facility. The 30 minute video was followed by a 45 minute Q&A session during which participants asked about technical aspects of equipment, consumables, algae strains, culturing conditions and trouble shooting advice. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.eitfood.eu/media/documents/ALGAL_BIOTECH_DRAFT_TRAINING_COURSE_2020_FINAL_v10.pdf |
Description | SRA Payam Mehrshahi presented a poster at the International Conference on Plant Synthetic Biology, Bioengineering and Biotechnology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | The conference was organised by the Society of Biological Engineering and brought together scientists and engineers from universities, industry and government working in all aspects of plant synthetic biology, plant bioengineering and plant biotechnology. Payam presented research from the lab that concern the use of synthetic biology to develop tools for regulation of gene expression in microalgae. This poster was well received by those in attendance with multiple questions raised to discuss the technical aspects of the molecular tools generated by our research group. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.aiche.org/sbe/conferences/international-conference-on-plant-synthetic-biology-and-bioeng... |
Description | SRA Payam Mehrshahi presented a talk at the University of Cambridge Global Food Security - Food for Thought - Coffee Break Talks |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Payam's talk titled "Algae: towards a more nutritious and sustainable future kitchen" gave an overview of the research in our group and how we think algae is a solution to address deficiencies in food sustainability and nutrition. The 15 minute talk was followed by 45 minutes of Q&A. The audience was extremely diverse with all but one participant being from the algae for food sector. This diversity made for an excellent back and forth on how algae can gain greater foothold in our future kitchen. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.globalfood.cam.ac.uk/repres/food-thought-coffee-break-talks |
Description | SRA Payam Mehrshahi presented at the EIT food workshop ALGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020 - TECHNIQUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | In 2020 due to the COVID restrictions, the EIT Food professional development course ALGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY - TECHNIQUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY was held as a hybrid course. This course was developed and led by colleagues at The University of Cambridge (UK), Matis (Iceland) and Fraunhofer (Germany). The course attendees were graduate, postgraduate and industry professionals who are interested in gaining exposure to the latest insight into technical, commercial and policy concepts that impact algal biotechnology. Payam's talk titled "Genetic Engineering Approaches For Algal Biotechnology" was followed by a Q&A session. The range of questions was testament to the diversity of interests and stage in career of those in attendance. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.eitfood.eu/projects/algal-biotechnology-techniques-and-opportunities-for-the-sustainable... |
Description | SRA Payam Mehrshahi presented poster at AlgaeEurope 2020 about the research and networking opportunities at the Algal Innovation Centre |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the event was held online in 2020. Around 250 researchers, industry and business partner with interests in algae biotechnology joined the four-day event. Payam presented an overview of research and expertise at the Algal Innovation Centre and indicated areas for networking and collaboration. The video recorded poster presentation was open to Q&A and attracted potential future collaborators. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://algaeurope.org/participants-information/?utm_campaign=2911&utm_source=enormail&utm_medium=em... |