Photoautotrophic production of omega-3 fatty acids with marine microalgae in co-culture

(M.Sc. Anna-Lena Thurn)

The co-cultivation of golden-brown microalgae such as Tysochrysis lutea (DHA producer) with green EPA-producing microalgae such as Microchloropsis salina in scalable photobioreactors enabled the production of algal biomass from CO₂ with high DHA and EPA content in a balanced ratio. Compared to the mixture of two photoautotrophic monocultures, co-cultures achieved increased productivity due to the complementary use of light of different wavelengths.

Publications

• Thurn A-L, Gerwald S, Brueck T, Weuster-Botz D (2025): Photoautotrophic production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) with Nannochloropsis oceanica under dynamic climate simulations. Processes 13: 1649.
• Thurn AL, Schobel J, Weuster-Botz D (2024): Photoautotrophic production of docosahexaenoic acid- and eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched biomass by co-culturing golden-brown and green microalgae. Fermentation 10: 220.
• Thurn A-L, Gerwald S, Stock A, Weuster-Botz D (2022): Simultaneous photoautotrophic production of EPA and DHA with Microchloropsis salina and Tisochyrsis lutea in co-culture. Biores Bioproc 9: 130.
• Schädler T, Thurn A-L, Brück T, Weuster-Botz D (2021): Continuous production of lipids with Microchloropsis salina in open thin-layer cascade photobioreactors on a pilot scale. Energies 14: 500.