Algae in Nature and Biotechnology: Dr. Kyle Lauersen

In this episode, we dive into the captivating world of algae and biotechnology with Dr. Kyle Lauersen. He is an Assistant Professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia and leads a research group focusing on engineering algae for useful purposes.

We cover everything from the basics of algae and their role in nature to their potential to drive sustainability. These tiny yet powerful organisms hold incredible secrets. Discover how metabolic engineering has turned algae into cellular factories, producing useful chemicals and cleaning wastewater. Join us as we explore the challenges and gaps in algae cultivation technology and learn how to observe algae under a microscope in an exciting at-home activity. Get ready to be inspired and amazed by the power of algae!

Topics covered in this episode:

• The basics of algae
• Diversity and exceptions within algae
• The roles of algae in nature
• The algae studied by Kyle’s group
• Algae biotechnology
• Challenges and gaps in algae cultivation technology and processing
• Observing algae under a microscope
• At-home microbiology activity: Algae Under the Lens: A Microscopic Exploration

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Links & Resources

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• Posts related to this podcast episode:
  • At-home microbiology activity: Algae Under the Lens: A Microscopic Exploration
  • Algae Biotechnology
• What are the types of microbes and where can we find them? (blog post)
• Life begins with algae (blog post)
• Seaweeds of the World: A Guide to Every Order by John H. Bothwell (book)
• Recent papers from Kyle’s lab:
  • Preprint about Cyanidioschyzon merolae (red alga) engineered to produce a red pigment: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.27.530181v1
  • Similar story Kyle’s group did in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (green alga): https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssynbio.2c00616
  • Using wastewater to make perfume (and clean water): https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0043135422014312
  • Engineering volatile isoprene (tires) from algae: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.12.523746v1

Connect with Dr. Kyle Lauersen

Dr. Kyle J. Lauersen is an Assistant Professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. His group is named Sustainable & Synthetic Biotechnology (SSB) with their main research focussed on engineering algae to be green cell factories. Kyle did his Doctorate of natural sciences at Bielefeld University in Germany, and his master’s as well as undergrad, and Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.

Connect with Dr. Kyle Lauersen:

Email: kyle.lauersen@kaust.edu.sa

Homepage: https://ssb.kaust.edu.sa

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylejlauersen/

Twitter: @Kylelauersen (https://twitter.com/Kylelauersen)

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyle_Lauersen

ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5538-7201

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=IvP8gI8AAAAJ&hl=en