Ralf Steuer | Maximal growth rate, resource allocation, and the limits of phototrophic productivity
Channel: CyanoWorld
Date: 03/03/2024

Ralf Steuer - Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany

Homepage: https://itb.biologie.hu-berlin.de/wiki/groups/steuer/start

Maximal growth rate, resource allocation, and the limits of phototrophic productivity

Phototrophic microorganisms allow us to couple light-driven assimilation of atmospheric CO2 directly to the synthesis of carbon-based products, and are therefore attractive platforms for the synthesis of renewable raw materials. Current applications, however, are hampered by the low productivity of phototrophic cultures.

To overcome these productivity barriers, there has been increasing interest in fast-growing microalgal and cyanobacterial strains, as well as in the molecular mechanisms that underpin fast growth. A high specific growth rate, however, is not the sole (or even main) determinant of culture productivity. The purpose of this work is therefore to examine the relationship between culture productivity and the specific growth rate of photoautotrophic organisms using established computational models of photoautotrophic growth.

Knowledge of the relationships between culture productivity and cell-specific parameters is crucial to identify novel stains suitable for biotechnology. Furthermore, the analysis allows us to examine strategies to improve culture productivity, such as antennae truncation. I will argue that antennae truncation itself is not expected to increase biomass productivity and will suggest alternative approaches to increase the productivity of phototrophic cultures.

Related publication: https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.28123

This talk is part of the CyanoWorld online seminar series, hosted by Nicolas Schmelling, and was held on Zoom on August 12th 2021.

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