BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Developing photosynthetic microbial cell factories - Dr John Arche
 r\, Principal Research Scientist at KAUST
DTSTART:20180220T120000Z
DTEND:20180220T130000Z
UID:TALK101830@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Charlotte Groocock
DESCRIPTION:\nThe development of microalgal cell systems for the sustainab
 le production of biomass-derived foods\, chemicals and fuels is a global r
 esearch aim that is driven by the need to develop alternative\, carbon-neu
 tral sources of these feedstocks in response to climate change. Such appli
 cations require highly efficient microalgal strains and are favored in reg
 ions of high insolation and warm year-round temperatures. The climate\, en
 vironment and industrial infrastructure of Saudi Arabia make it the preemi
 nent location in which to establish algal biotechnology\, however\, despit
 e intensive international research efforts\, less than 100 microalgal stra
 ins with potential to act as photosynthetic cell factories have been descr
 ibed and none of these can operate efficiently under Saudi conditions.\n\n
 To realize the potential for algal biotechnology in Saudi Arabia\, new mic
 roalga and cyanobacteria cell factory strains must be developed that can t
 hrive in the harsh KSA climate and utilize marine water-based growth media
 . My group has developed an isolation-characterization-engineering pipelin
 e that targets highly robust Red Sea microalgae and cyanobacteria from whi
 ch photosynthetic cell factories have been developed using directed evolut
 ion and synthetic biology approaches.\n\nTo date\, we have generated over 
 1\,200 primary isolates from which a 120 lead strains were generated. From
  the latter\, through genomics-led directed evolution and synthetic biolog
 y approaches\, optimized lead strains have been engineered and validated a
 t industrial pilot scale. These strains are new to science and their funda
 mental study provides insights into phototroph-heterotroph symbiosis\, ada
 ptation to high salinity\, insolation and temperature. Arising from this\,
  we have formed Kyanos the first biotechnology manufacturing venture in Sa
 udi Arabia. 
LOCATION:Part II lecture room\, Department of Genetics
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR