An auxin-like supermolecule to simultaneously enhance growth and cumulative eicosapentaenoic acid production in Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Abstract

Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a model alga, is well known for its ability to accumulate intracellular omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). However, P.tricornutum cells need to have a higher epa content if they are to be used for industrial applications. In this study, an auxin-like supermolecule (SM) was synthesised and used for the cultivation of P. tricornutum. Results show that the addition of 1 ppm of SM significantly increased the P. tricornutum cell density and boosted the P. tricornutum biomass. The experimental group treated with 5 ppm of SM, had an epa content of 31.7%, which was a 2.09-fold increase over the epa content in the untreated group. Overall, our results demonstrated that SM can significantly improve the microalgal growth and epa accumulation in P. tricornutum, providing a feasible strategy to achieve efficient and cost-effective epa production.