Saudi KAUST develops animal feed from algal biotechnology

Saudi KAUST develops animal feed from algal biotechnology

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) has collaborated with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to deliver the Development of Algal Biotechnology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DABKSA).

For this project to succeed, however, microalgae that are robust to the harsh Saudi climate must be grown. In a recent study seen in Frontiers in Microbiology, KAUST researchers describe the cultivation of one microalga, Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

merolae is an extremophile that was first isolated from a hot spring in Italy. It grows best at temperatures near 50 oC and in high acidity. In the study, the Sustainability and Synthetic Biotechnology (SSB) Group at KAUST and DABKSA group from KAUST Beacon Development (KBD) show how to grow this extremophile in conditions as extreme as Saudi summers on the Red Sea, which is one of the warmest and saltiest on the planet.

KAUST Assistant Professor Mr. Kyle Lauersen, who leads the SSB group and is the senior author of the study, believes that the committed infrastructure and investment will position Saudi Arabia as a leader in algal technologies and significantly contribute to strengthening the Kingdom’s food independence.

“This alga has the potential to become a significant part of alternative protein production and