#algae farming

Biotechnology is a significant part of the Australian infrastructure, and it has been proving that it has the potential to lead the biotech revolution if one is to happen. Newer and newer applications are being discovered for the biotech advancements that the nation has been making.

Microalgae are a great resource as they can be farmed without competing for arable land and food production. They contain local strains that are efficient producers of lipids, crude protein, and nutraceuticals (nutritional supplements), which make them very beneficial for farming and biotechnology use. In the agriculture and cultivation of this algae has its benefits. By the use of biotechnology, we can change the perspective of this farming and reap the maximum benefits of this algae and maximize the output we get from these farming cultures of algae. Biotechnology plays a vital role in securing the benefits of these algae farms as the global demand for these is increasing by the day. This culture provides us with many other by-products such as Nutrient-based supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, Biodiesel, Protein-rich cattle feed, Phytosterols for the food industry which can be further refined or used for further biotechnological operations that gives the researchers a chance to study the biology of these by-products achieved and how they are different from the other ways of obtaining them.

The plant-based food that grows where no other crop can survive      

How algae can help us increase the output and coverage of our productive land

“iWi grows its Nannochloropsis in 165  acres covered with vast, larger-than-football-field-sized saltwater ponds in the New Mexico and Texas desert. Unlike terrestrial plants, Nannochloropsis requires no soil and no freshwater. As a photosynthetic organism, its only real requirement is plenty of sunshine. It’s also surprisingly climate tolerant: it can survive anywhere that temperatures don’t drop below freezing for consecutive days or exceed 45°C for long periods of time.”

“ Nannochloropsis happens to produce more essential amino acid per acre than any other farmed food — plant or animal — that the iWi researchers know of. Unlike corn, soy or many other traditional crops, iWi harvests the full plant rather than leaving behind roots, stem or leaves, which helps Nannochloropsis also pack about 300 times more essential amino acids per acre of land per year than peas. Put another way, the equivalent amount of essential amino acids produced by 150 acres of land used to grow Nannochloropsis would require 45,000 acres of land used to grow peas.”