Demonstration of the potential of Picochlorum soloecismus as a microalgal platform for the production of renewable fuels

Photosynthetic microbes are considered promising biofactories for transforming inorganic carbon from the atmosphere into a renewable source of chemicals and precursors of industrial interest; however, there continues to be a need for strains that demonstrate high productivity, environmental robustness, and the potential to be genetically manipulated. Genome sequencing and biochemical characterization of promising culture collection microalgae strains, as well as the isolation of previously unidentified strains from the environment or mixed cultures, bring us closer to the goal of decreasing the cost-per-gallon of algal biofuels by identifying new and promising potential production strains. The halotolerant alga Picochlorum soloecismus was isolated from the culture collection strain, Nannochloropsis salina CCMP 1776. Here, we show that P. soloecismus accumulates moderate levels of fatty acids and high levels of total carbohydrates and that it can effectively grow in a range of salinities. In addition, we make use of its sequenced genome to compare it to other biofuel production platforms and to validate the capacity for engineering this strain's genome. Our work shows that Picochlorum soloecismus is a candidate production strain for the generation of renewable bioproducts.