AUTHOR=Cano Melissa , Krishnan Anagha , Karns Devin A. , Likhogrud Maria A. , Weissman Joseph C. , Posewitz Matthew C. TITLE=Cas9 deletion of lutein biosynthesis in the marine alga Picochlorum celeri reduces photosynthetic pigments while sustaining high biomass productivity JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1332461 DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2023.1332461 ISSN=2296-4185 ABSTRACT=
Domestication of algae for food and renewable biofuels remains limited by the low photosynthetic efficiencies of processes that have evolved to be competitive for optimal light capture, incentivizing the development of large antennas in light-limiting conditions, thus decreasing efficient light utilization in cultivated ponds or photobioreactors. Reducing the pigment content to improve biomass productivity has been a strategy discussed for several decades and the ability to reduce pigment significantly is now fully at hand thanks to the widespread use of genome editing tools.