Leveraging “RNA Signatures” to Optimize Microalgal Biorefineries
Participants: Karla Neugebauer, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine; Hanno Erythropel, Yale School of the Environment; Paul Anastas, Yale School of the Environment.
Biorefineries aim to shift the material basis of our economy from petroleum to biomass to reduce fossil carbon output. Developing multiple streams of valuable products is key to making biorefineries economically viable. One approach is the use of algae, known to express a variety of valuable compounds. This project aims to identify specific temperature regimes and/or nutrient stressors that may lead to increased production of high-value compounds and changes in RNA profiles that can ultimately act as performance predictors. From a wider, ecosystem-scale viewpoint, the team’s data will generate testable hypotheses for how algae acclimate to rising temperatures, algal blooms and eutrophication. This approach could ultimately provide strategies for waterway restoration.