Dr. Michal Breker, Dr. Ofra Benny

Microalgae play an essential ecological role as vehicles of protein and metabolite production. While these single-cell organisms could potentially supply humanity’s growing demand for nutrients, their nutrient yields in liquid culture are currently insufficient. In this project, the Benny and Breker-Dekel labs will join forces to develop an out-of-the-box method for increasing biomass accumulation in cultivated microalgae: We envision the generation of biodegradable scaffolds of microbeads containing medium components or growth factors optimized for maximizing microalgae’s industrial proliferation capacity. This work should provide proof-of-concept for optimization procedures and pave the way for future cost-effective products for the food and cosmetics Industry.