Research Projects

The increased market demand for essential lipids necessitates the development of alternative lipid sources and the economic viability of microalgae-based applications essentially relies on achieving high biomass productivity along with high lipid content. Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is an emerging technology that takes advantage of microalgae's metabolic plasticity to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions. stress-based strategies often have a negative impact on microalgal cell growth, resulting in lower yield of desired products in the long run. In this regard, integrating stressinduced mutagenesis and ALE can modulate the process of lipid production and accumulation without compromising the fitness of the cells. However, as the response to repeated stress conditions is highly strain-dependent, there is a need to improve the efficiency of ALE and validate the stability of ALE resultant strains. In this regard, the project aims to explore the simultaneous application of selected stress factors to ALE in microalgae, as well as to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are suggestive of lipid enhancement in microalgal cells.