Patent ID: 8008061

Claim:
A Bacillariophyta alga cell culture, wherein Bacillariophyta alga cells in the culture comprise an exogenous transgene, wherein the transgene comprises a nucleic acid construct encoding a glucose transporter selected from the group consisting of Glut1 (human erythrocyte glucose transporter 1) and Hup1 (Chlorella HUP1 Monosaccharide-H+ Symporter) under the control of a functionally linked promoter, wherein upon expression of the glucose transporter in an amount sufficient to transport glucose into the Bacillariophyta alga cells, the Bacillariophyta alga cells grow on glucose in the absence of light as compared to untransformed wild-type Bacillariophyta alga cells, and wherein the untransformed wild-type Bacillariophyta alga cells are obligate photoautotrophs.