Microalgae fermentation on C5 sugar from hemicellulose waste: Multi-omic analysis and modeling for rational bioprocess engineering

Mara Renewables Corporation is an Atlantic Canadian producer of algal-based bio-products. The company is*seeking to expand its production to include biofuels, but it is currently limited by the high cost of carbon*sources. The goal of this project is to develop a metabolic model capable to identifying a genetic engineering*strategy that would enable the company's microalgae to use hemicellulose - a byproduct of the pulp and paper*industry, produced in large quantities in Nova Scotia and Canada more broadly. Hemicellulose is primarily*composed of five-carbon (C5) sugar, which the microalgae are not able to process effectively. The project will*focus on using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis to identify the metabolic role of C5 sugar and*integrate this data into a model to determine how to increase C5 utilization through genetic engineering. A*successful outcome will enable Mara to produce cheap and sustainable biofuel, benefiting the Canadian*consumer and Canadian industry through export potential and further economic development.*