Molecular strategies to increase lipid production in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

BERDUN, FEDERICO; VALIÑAS, MATÍAS; MARCHETTI, MARIA FERNANDA; PAGNUSSAT, GABRIELA C.; EDUARDO JULIAN ZABALETA

Congreso; XVIII SAMIGE; 2022

The increase of the world population, the progressive industrialization and the continued growth transportation are among the main factors contributing to growing energy demand. The 80% of current energy demand comes from non-renewable fossil sources, and the concomitant gas emission contributes to the global warming. Thus, research on other more sustainable energy sources, such as microalgae, represents an interesting alternative taking into account its high growth rate, its ability to growth in marginal and no cultivable lands, the possibility to be biochemically and genetically modulated and the production of molecules of industrial interest (biorefineries). The marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum accumulates high lipid content under adverse conditions, however compromising its growth and hindering the commercial value. With the aim to increase the lipid accumulation in this diatom, we investigate the regulation of the cytosolic Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), which catalyzes the first committed step of the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway.