Microalgal production of high value antioxidants in Canada

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Green microalgae have been identified as a potential avenue to produce high-value antioxidants. However, a lack of optimized, cost-efficient, and non-contaminating strategies for cultivation and harvesting of microalgal biomass represents a significant barrier for realizing this potential. Developing the scientific fundamentals to allow this potential to be met is a cornerstone of my long-term goal, the development of a microalgal bioeconomy in Canada. Overcoming cultivation and harvesting challenges is the basis for the short-term goals of this proposal. As such, I have identified three short-term objectives to work towards the optimization of antioxidant production systems, namely: 1) screening and identification of bioprospected microalgae, to identify potential strains and the chronic stressors that result in antioxidant production; 2) developing cultivation and acute oxidative stress models, to provide a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of production; and, 3) determining the effect of cultivation conditions on harvesting, through a novel study of both systems combined, to provide a currently lacking scientific basis to harvesting models. Over the five years of this grant, these three objectives will allow us to develop a scientific understanding of factors affecting microalgal production systems and take a major step towards sustainable production of antioxidants from microalgae in Canada.