LE3 .A278 2020

2020

Walker, Allison
Benjamin, Jeremy

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are important for human health. Alternate sources of these valuable PUFAs for human consumption are being sought to replace the current, unsustainable, sources: fish oil and animal byproducts respectively. Marine fungi show promise as a novel and potentially lucrative source of PUFAs, which could provide a renewable source of EPA and ARA. In collaboration with Mara Renewables Corporation in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, this study established growth and screening methods for marine fungi, isolated novel strains from the Atlantic Ocean, identified them by ITS rDNA barcoding and determined their fatty acid profiles. Marine fungal strains were grown in liquid cultures and screened for EPA and ARA production using fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Of the 74 isolated marine microorganisms belonging to 25 genera; four Mortierella strains produced ARA and one Pythium strain (oomycete) produced both EPA and ARA, at commercially competitive quantities. Future research will target the isolation and screening of additional strains from these genera and scale up promising strains in bioreactors for optimization of growth and fatty acid production.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3432