Astaxanthin production from newly discovered Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901 in a continuous photobioreactor

Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901 is a newly discovered cyanobacterial species with interesting features like a fast growth rate and a remarkable biomass accumulation even under high irradiances. The aim of this study is to characterize the effect of cultivating conditions on the biomass productivity and pigments accumulation in a continuous photobioreactor. In particular, the effect of light intensity and residence time was assessed. As Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901 is a promising species for genetic engineering purposes, the cultivation of a GMO strain producing astaxanthin, i.e. a high-value antioxidant, was also assessed, as kindly provided by University of Verona. The astaxanthin production was compared to the one obtained from Haematococcus pluvialis, which is the most common species commercially applied for the production of this pigment.