A MULTIPLE-STAGE COST EFFECTIVE SMART-FARMING OF ENGINEERED MICROALGAE FOR SIMULTANEOUS PRODUCTION OF HIGH VALUE MOLECULES AND BIOENERGY

This proposed project addresses the NIFA and USDA major goals for1. "Advance the cultural diversity of the food and agricultural sciences scientific and professional workforce by attracting and educating more students from underrepresented groups", 2. "Strengthen linkages among the 1890 institutions, other colleges and universities, USDA, other federal agencies, and private industry", and 3. "Enhance and strengthen the quality of Teaching/Education, Research, and Extension programs at the 1890 institutions to establish them as full partners in the U.S. food and agricultural sciences higher education system". Moreover, this project will build capacity at DSU by expanding the ability of DSU and faculty and students to conduct research in the project supports for CBG Priority Areas in 1. Human health, and nutrition security, 2. Bioenergy/biofuel and natural resources, and 3. Sustainable agriculture.The objectives of this study are1.1: Establish standardized protocol for genetic transformation of the Chlorella sp.,2.Develop a transformation vector for production the high value compound Taxadiene in Chlorella sp.,3.Develop an approach for separation, isolation, and quantification of the high value molecule Taxadiene from other algal bioproduct, 4.Isolation, and quantification of the polyunsaturated fatty acids from the genetically engineered algal cell lines,5.Cost-effectiveness analysis of the introduced platform for simultaneous production of high value bioactive molecules,6.Enhanced the research and teaching capacity of DSU at the area of Algal Biotechnology.