It is an ambitious goal. Saudi Arabia aims to become carbon net zero by 2060 and knows the only way it will is through research and investment. As part of this effort, last year, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) announced a major collaboration with KAUST to deliver the Development of Algal Biotechnology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DABKSA). For this project to succeed, however, microalgae that are robust to the harsh Saudi climate must be grown. In a recent study seen in Frontiers in Microbiology, KAUST researchers describe the cultivation of one microalga, Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

C. merolae is an extremophile that was first isolated from a hot spring in Italy. It grows best at temperatures near 50 oC and in high acidity. In the study, the Sustainability and Synthetic Biotechnology (SSB) Group at KAUST and DABKSA group from KAUST Beacon Development (KBD) show how to grow this extremophile in conditions as extreme as Saudi summers on the Red Sea, which is one of the warmest and saltiest on the planet.

Lauersen believes that the committed infrastructure and investment will position Saudi Arabia as a leader in algal technologies and significantly contribute to strengthening the Kingdom’s food independence.

Assistant Professor Kyle Lauersen

“This alga has potential to become a significant part of alternative protein production and it can be grown locally in hot summer season in the Kingdom,” said KAUST Assistant Professor Kyle Lauersen, who leads the SSB group and is the senior author on the study.

Microalgae consume nitrogen and phosphorous, common pollutants produced from fertilizer and agriculture, along with CO2, and grow in seawater to produce biomass such as proteins, oils and other useful products. These products can be processed as feed for animals, potentially providing a sustainable form of farming to a country seeking to grow its food independence.

Importantly, the two research groups together grew C. merolae using commercial fertilizer at lab and outdoor large-scale culture, a significant achievement for affordable biomass production.

DABKSA aims to convert the production of microalgae from studies like these to industrial levels.

Dr. Claudio Fuentes-Grünewald

“[C. merolae] was already tested at pilot facilities with a total volume of 3,000 liters. The next step is to test at scales larger than 100,000L in seawater and using CO2 from flue gas. All this will be done at Phase II of DABKSA project,” explained Dr. Claudio Fuentes-Grünewald, Algae Program Director at KAUST-Beacon Development. An official launch of Phase II of the DABKSA project is expected this autumn.

Lauersen believes that the committed infrastructure and investment will position Saudi Arabia as a leader in algal technologies and significantly contribute to strengthening the Kingdom’s food independence.

“The potential for algae to contribute to the local bioeconomy in the Kingdom is real and potentially can support the protein production in KSA by 2030, it just needs skilled labor to help grow the sector. With growing infrastructure and the interest of local stakeholders, it is now KAUST’s job to craft education and training programs for the next generation of algal technologists,” he said.