Synthetic Genomics, Inc.

Exxonmobile Research and Engineering Company

Jonathan E Meuser

Shaun Bailey

Jay McCarren

Robert Christopher Brown

Leah Soriaga

Christen G DiPetrillo

Soyan Leung Lieberman

Ariel S Schwartz

Joseph C Weissman

Daniel Yee

Anna E Romano

Robert C Brown

Jay Mccarren

Robert D Nielsen

Roger C Prince

Mutant photosynthetic algae having increased biomass productivity are provided. The mutants have attenuated expression of violaxanthin chlorophyll a binding proteins (VCP) or fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c binding proteins (FCP), reduced chlorophyll, higher apparent ETR(II), little to no reduction in Pper cell, and decreased NPQ over a wide range of light intensities. Provided herein are constructs for attenuating or disrupting VCP or FCP genes. Also provided are methods of culturing VCP or FCP mutants for the production of biomass or other products.

Enhanced productivity by attenuation of chlorophyll binding protein genes

Mutant photosynthetic microorganisms having reduced chlorophyll and increased photosynthetic efficiency are provided. The mutants have a locked in high light-acclimated phenotype, in which many of the photosynthetic parameters characteristic of high light acclimated wild type cells are found in the LIHLA mutants when acclimated to low light, such as reduced chlorophyll, reduced NPQ, higher qP, higher E, higher Pper unit chlorophyll with little to no reduction in Pper cell, and higher rates of electron transport through photosystem II over a wide range of light intensities. Provided herein are constructs for attenuating or disrupting genes are provided for generating mutants having the LIHLA phenotype. Also provided are methods of culturing LIHLA mutants for the production of biomass or other products.

Algal mutants having a locked-in high light acclimated phenotype

Growing community of inventors

Fort Myers, FL, United States of America

Jonathan E Meuser