Acutodesmus dimorphus: A Promising Alga for Commercial Scale Cultivation for Biofuels and Biomass

Srishti Jha, Mohd. Tashfeen Ashraf

Abstract


This article summarizes the potential of fresh water microalgae Acutodesmus dimorphus (A. dimorphus) for commercial scale cultivation. Recent studies on this alga are discussed. A recently concluded field trial of genetically modified strain of this alga, when cultivated outdoor in natural environment, demonstrated that the alga was able to express the modified phenotype with no observed adverse effect on native algal species in surrounding medium. Being first such US EPA approved evaluation of a genetically modified algae, this study has projected A. dimorphus as a promising GM alga that may now be taken up for industrial scale production. The article concludes by highlighting certain issues that need to be focused in order to make GM A. dimorphus a desirable strain for commercial scale cultivation.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.37628/ijpb.v3i1.155

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