An engineering biology approach for sustainable production of omega 3 and pigments from microalgae

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Omega-3 oils are essential for human health, with the main dietary source of these fatty acids being fish. However, approximately 90% of global fisheries are overexploited or fully depleted, and therefore cannot act as a sustainable source. In place of natural fisheries, the United Nations projects that aquaculture will provide 60% of global fish consumption by 2030\. However, farmed fish do not produce omega-3 oils and other key nutrients themselves, instead accumulating them from fish further down the food chain. Aquaculture is therefore also reliant on unsustainable practices, as approximately 65 - 70% of the fishmeal and fish oil required as feed is sourced from of pelagic fish harvested specifically for this purpose. More sustainable approaches to feed production are therefore required to meet the increase in consumer demand for seafood whilst also protecting our oceans.MiAlgae's proprietary technology applies a circular economy approach to sustainably produce omega-3 and pigments from co-products of the Scottish whisky industry. The co-products, including pot ale and spent lees, are used as a feedstock to grow microalgae, and the resulting biomass is the basis of our recently launched NaturAlgae product. NaturAlgae is a omega-3 rich powder that can be used as a feed ingredient in the aquaculture and pet food industries. The fermentation also produces trace amounts of carotenoids, which are valued for their colour and antioxidant properties, with the only other output from the process being clean water.The more efficiently MiAlgae's technology can turn whisky co-products to omega-3 and other products of interest, the more fishmeal and fish oils can be replaced by sustainable alternatives. This project aims to develop enabling technologies (namely a transformation protocol and genome sequence) that can be used to facilitate an engineering biology approach in our microalgal stain. By allowing us to rationally engineer our strain, these technologies will enable MiAlgae to improve process efficiency and increase yields of omega-3 and carotenoids, thereby maximising the value added to each batch of distillery co-product.