Microalgae are not an umbrella solution for power industry waste abatement but could play a role in their valorization.

Microalgae have long been regarded as a promising solution for biological carbon abatement from the power industry, offering renewable biomass without competing for land or water resources used for food crops. In this study, we extensively examined the application of photosynthetic microorganisms for closing carbon, nitrogen, and micronutrient loops in the power industry. Subsequently, we explored the bottom-up integration of algal biorefineries into power industry waste streams for increased economic benefits and reduced environmental impacts. Analysis of the available data indicated that microalgae integration with the power industry is primarily performed using flue-gas-assisted cultivation. This approach allows for carbon sequestration typically below one gram per liter per day, too low to significantly impact carbon abatement at achievable scales of microalgae cultivation. Alternative approaches are also being explored. For example, soluble bicarbonate platforms allow for higher biomass productivity and temporary carbon storage. Meanwhile, the use of ashes and waste heat and thermophilic strains can result in lower cultivation costs and better control of cultivation conditions. These approaches offer further incremental improvement to microalgae-based carbon abatement systems in the power industry but are unlikely to be an umbrella solution for carbon reduction. Consequently, in the near term, microalgae-based carbon valorization systems are likely to be limited to niche applications involving the synthesis of high-value products. For microalgae to truly transform carbon abatement processes radical improvements in both biology and engineering approaches are urgently needed.

Euglena International Network (EIN): Driving euglenoid biotechnology for the benefit of a challenged world.

Euglenoids (Euglenida) are unicellular flagellates possessing exceptionally wide geographical and ecological distribution. Euglenoids combine a biotechnological potential with a unique position in the eukaryotic tree of life. In large part these microbes owe this success to diverse genetics including secondary endosymbiosis and likely additional sources of genes. Multiple euglenoid species have translational applications and show great promise in production of biofuels, nutraceuticals, bioremediation, cancer treatments and more exotically as robotics design simulators. An absence of reference genomes currently limits these applications, including development of efficient tools for identification of critical factors in regulation, growth or optimization of metabolic pathways. The Euglena International Network (EIN) seeks to provide a forum to overcome these challenges. EIN has agreed specific goals, mobilized scientists, established a clear roadmap (Grand Challenges), connected academic and industry stakeholders and is currently formulating policy and partnership principles to propel these efforts in a coordinated and efficient manner.

Polyphasic Identification and Genomic Insights of Leptothermofonsia sichuanensis gen. sp. nov., a Novel Thermophilic Cyanobacteria Within Leptolyngbyaceae.

Thermal environments are an important reservoir of thermophiles with significant ecological and biotechnological potentials. However, thermophilic isolates remain largely unrecovered from their habitats and are rarely systematically identified. In this study, we characterized using polyphasic approaches a thermophilic strain, PKUAC-SCTAE412 (E412 hereafter), recovered from Lotus Lake hot spring based in Ganzi prefecture, China. The results of 16S rRNA/16S-23S ITS phylogenies, secondary structure, and morphology comparison strongly supported that strain E412 represent a novel genus within Leptolyngbyaceae. This delineation was further confirmed by genome-based analyses [phylogenomic inference, average nucleotide/amino-acid identity, and the percentages of conserved proteins (POCP)]. Based on the botanical code, the isolate is herein delineated as Leptothermofonsia sichuanensis gen. sp. nov, a genus adjacent to recently delineated Kovacikia and Stenomitos. In addition, we successfully obtained the first complete genome of this new genus. Genomic analysis revealed its adaptations to the adverse hot spring environment and extensive molecular components related to mobile genetic elements, photosynthesis, and nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, the strain was capable of modifying the composition of its light-harvesting apparatus depending on the wavelength and photoperiod, showing chromatic adaptation capacity characteristic for T1 and T2 pigmentation types. Other physiological studies showed the strain's ability to utilize sodium bicarbonate and various sulfur compounds. The strain was also shown to be diazotrophic. Interestingly, 24.6% of annotated protein-coding genes in the E412 genome were identified as putatively acquired, hypothesizing that a large number of genes acquired through HGT might contribute to the genome expansion and habitat adaptation of those thermophilic strains. Most the HGT candidates (69.4%) were categorized as metabolic functions as suggested by the KEGG analysis. Overall, the complete genome of strain E412 provides the first insight into the genomic feature of the genus Leptothermofonsia and lays the foundation for future global ecogenomic and geogenomic studies.

A simple and effective cryopreservation protocol for the industrially important and model organism, Euglena gracilis.

Euglena gracilis is a source of high-value natural products. A major factor affecting consistent production of Euglena biomass is strain stability. Cryopreservation is a leading strategy for cell-line storage that helps ensure process reproducibility. We developed a simple cryopreservation protocol for heterotrophically cultured Euglena that enables the recovery of cells after 1 year with a cell viability of ≅80%. This protocol is suitable for labs interested in the long-term preservation of heterotrophic cultures of Euglena and related species.

Exploring an in situ LED-illuminated isothermal micro-calorimetric method to investigating the thermodynamic behavior of Chlorella vulgaris during CO2 bio-fixation.

Much endeavor has been dispensed recently to evaluate the potential of CO2 mitigation by microalgae. We introduce an alternative, novel, LED-illumination isothermal microcalorimetric method to assess the thermodynamic behaviors of microalgae for better understanding of their carbon sequestration capacity. Microalgae thermodynamic behaviors were recorded as power-time curves, and their indices such as total heat evolution (QT), maximum power output (Pmax) and heat generated by per algae cell (JN/Q) were obtained. The values for highest (74.80 g L-1) and control sample (0.00 g L-1) of QT, Pmax and JN/Q were 20.85 and 2.32 J; 252.17 and 57.67 µW; 7.91 × -06 and 8.80 × -07 J cell-1, respectively. According to the values of QT, a general order to promote the CO2 sequestration was found at 74.8 g L-1 > 29.92 g L-1 > 14.96 g L-1 > 7.48 g L-1 > 0 g L-1 of C sources, which directly corresponded to carbon availability in the growth medium. Chlorella vulgaris GIEC-179 showed the highest peak Pmax at 74.8 g L-1 concentration which was directly transformed to their biomass during bio-fixation of CO2 process. This study is applicable for better understanding of CO2 fixation performance of algae.

Microbiological quality of selected street food items vended by school-based street food vendors in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the microbiological quality of local food items vended by the school-based street food vendors in Dhaka City. A total of 80 schools from 19 school-zones of Dhaka City and its outskirts were chosen for the study. A total of 110 food samples, one each from 110 school-based street food vendors, were collected for laboratory analysis. Face to face interviews were conducted with the food vendors using a pre-tested questionnaire. The food samples were analyzed for coliform counts in the Public Health Laboratory, Institute of Public Health, Dhaka, which is a national level central food testing laboratory in Bangladesh. Microbiological criteria recommended by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) were considered to classify food samples as 'satisfactory' (total coliforms <100 per g or ml) and 'unsatisfactory' (total coliforms ≥ 100 per g or ml). Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association of selected socio-demographic characteristics of school-based street food vendors with the presence of unsatisfactory levels of coliforms in their food items. Of the 110 school-based street food samples analyzed in the laboratory, 44% were unsatisfactory. Among different items of street vended foods, 54% of sliced fruits samples, 59% of jhalmuri samples, 29% of chotpotis samples, 53% of vajavuji samples, and all (100%) sharbat samples were unsatisfactory, while all samples from achar (100%) and ice cream (100%) were found to be satisfactory. Logistic regression models showed that the food samples collected from the vendors belonging to the age group '15-24 years' and the vendors possessing an educational status higher than primary level were less likely to be unsatisfactory, while the food samples collected from the vendors having a daily income of more than 200 Bangladeshi Taka (equivalent to 3.00 USD) were more likely to be unsatisfactory. Our study findings reflected poor microbiological quality for a considerable proportion of the school-based street vended foods indicating a health threat to the school children of Dhaka City.