SBIR Phase II: An Innovative Photobioreactor for Commercial Production of Astaxanthin from Genetically Improved Haematococcus Pluvialis Strains

这项小型企业创新研究第二阶段的研究开发了一种创新的生物技术，使用在专有的大型光生物反应器中生长的转基因微藻菌株(S)来商业化生产天然虾青素，并证明新菌株在提高虾青素的生物利用度方面的有效性。拟议的研发努力旨在克服目前生产富含虾青素的红球菌所固有的主要弱点：虾青素对人和动物的生物利用度较低。该公司将使用几种显著提高虾青素生物利用度的转基因红球菌菌株。第二阶段研究的主要目标是为这些新菌株的可持续大规模培养设计、建造和评估一个创新的大规模光生物反应器系统。改进的生产系统将使虾青素的生产率提高1.5-2倍，成本至少降低30%。这项技术的更广泛影响将是克服以红球藻为基础的虾青素行业的两个主要障碍。这种生物技术的应用将导致虾青素的销售在2015年前大幅增加。它还将导致红球藻-虾青素生产和相关行业(例如，化妆品、制药和营养食品)的工作岗位扩大。生产成本的降低将导致价格的下降，使虾青素更容易负担得起，让更多的人利用虾青素作为一种强大的抗氧化剂来改善健康和福祉。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II reserach develops an innovative biotechnology for commercial production of natural astaxanthin using genetically improved microalgal strain(s) grown in a proprietary large-scale photobioreactor, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new strains in improving bioavailability of astaxanthin. The proposed R&D efforts aim to overcome the major weakness inherent in the present production of astaxanthin-enriched Haematococcus: poor bioavailability of astaxanthin for humans and animals. The company will use several genetically modified Haematococcus strains with remarkably improved bioavailability of astaxanthin. The major objectives of the Phase II research are to design, construct, and evaluate an innovative large-scale photobioreactor system for sustainable mass culture of these new strains. The improved production system will increase astaxanthin productivity by 1.5- to 2-fold with at least 30% cost reduction. The broader impacts of this technology will be to overcome two major hurdles for the Haematococcus-based astaxanthin industry. The application of this biotechnology will lead to major increases in astaxanthin sales by 2015. It will also result in job expansion in the Haematococcus-astaxanthin production and related industries (e.g., cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical). Reduction in the production costs will lead to decreasing prices, making astaxanthin more affordable to allow more people to take advantage of astaxanthin as a strong antioxidant for improving health and well-being.