Dryland biobanking: capturing the potential of extremophilic green algae

The research focuses on microalgae, photosynthetic microorganisms that play a key role as primary producers in the world’s ecosystems and in the total global fixation of carbon dioxide, particularly those living in desert areas, extreme environments characterised by water scarcity, high temperatures and strong sunlight. By studying dozens of samples of desert soils from around the world, the research aims to cultivate, identify, select and sequence the genome of the microalgae characterising these environments, shedding light on the adaptation mechanisms of these microorganisms that, unlike others, are able to tolerate one or more high stress factors. The research may also provide useful information to understand and predict the responses to climate change of these photosynthetic soil microorganisms. Some of the studied species will be tested for possible applications in biotechnology, for example, by selecting new, particularly robust strains for industrial applications. To enable their ex situ conservation, a strain collection (namely a collection of in-vitro microalgal cultures of desert soils) will also be set up in the Garden’s laboratories.