Strain Selection for Biodiesel Production - Biotechnological Applications of Microalgae - page 37

3.7 ROLE OF REPOSITORIES
Repositories are indispensable in preserving the diversity of natural habitats, pro-
tecting genetic material, and providing basic resources for research. At present, only
a few major algal collection centers exist in the United States and other countries.
They currently maintain thousands of different algal strains and support the research
and industrial community with their expertise in algae biology. The function of a
culture collection often transcends simple depository functions. They may also sup-
port research on determining strain characteristics, cryopreservation, and phylogeny,
either by themselves or in connection with outside collaborators. Currently, no cen-
tral database exists that provides global information on the characteristics of cur-
rently available algal strains. Protection of intellectual property in private industry
has further exacerbated the flow of relevant strain data. Some minimal growth infor-
mation is available from existing culture collections, but it is very difficult to obtain
more detailed information on growth, metabolites, and the robustness of particular
existing strains. The establishment of a central strain, open-access repository could
accelerate research on algae-based biofuel production systems.
Above all, it is certain that many algal strains in established collections have been
cultivated for several decades, and some may have lost their original properties, such
as mating capability or versatility regarding nutrient requirements. To obtain ver-
satile and robust strains that can be used for mass culture in biofuel applications, it
would be prudent to consider the isolation of new native strains directly from unique
environments. For both direct breeding and metabolic engineering approaches to
improve biofuels production, it will be important to isolate a wide variety of algae
for assembly into a culture collection that will serve as a bioresource for further algal
biofuel research.
3.8 CONCLUDING REMARKS
The detection of new and rare species is made easier due to the accessibility of
classifications based on genotypic and phenotypic data. This will be valuable in
the challenges facing systematic classification and the need for establishing well-
defined taxa, a stable nomenclature, and enhanced identification procedures. Large-
scale screening for bioactive compounds of industrial application necessitates rapid
and unequivocal characterization of enormous numbers of algal isolates. Because
these biocatalytic compounds hold persistent value as an input for the biotechnology
industry, the conservation of microbial gene pools is critical. Ex-situ collections are
and will continue to be an essential cradle for warranting that a source of living cells
is available for research and manufacturing purposes. It is well documented that
exploring the same or similar environments fails to reveal the same organisms again
or even, if found, they would not exhibit the desired characteristics exhibited by the
earlier strains. Nevertheless, maintenance of representatives of all identified species
of algae and cell lines in ex-situ collections is unrealistic. Hence, it is suggested
that future researchers and repositories should ensure the provision of the DNA
rather than the organisms themselves. We are still largely in the hunter-and-gatherer
stage of exploiting algae for food, bioactive compounds, and energy. Hence, further