(634a) Algae Products for Biofuels: Isoprenoids

Microalgae represent a very diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that have recently received renewed attention regarding their potential as feedstock for renewable fuels production. Algae metabolites that could be used for fuel production are for example lipids, isoprenoids, polysaccharides, and hydrogen. Isoprenoids are a large and diverse family of natural products including many hydrocarbon molecules of different chain lengths that are of interest for oil production. Molecules of the class of isoprenoids have in common that they are made up of the five-carbon containing molecule isoprene as a basic building block. In algae either the HMG-CoA reductase pathway and/or the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway exist for synthesis of the precursor to isoprenoids, isopentenyl pyrophosphate and its isomer dimethylallyl pyrophosphate. This presentation will review the biosynthesis of isoprenoids in algae.