With more than 7,000 strains, the University of Duisburg-Essen is home to the largest algae collection in the world. Now, this collection is being studied at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Advanced Light Source using infrared spectromicroscopy. Scientists from UDE and Berkeley aim at decoding the chemical composition of the previously understudied algal cells and determine which biomolecules they produce. Algal biomolecules like lipids can, for example, be used as a sustainable energy source in biofuel production.

Algae are considered nature’s jack-of-all-trades. They can convert carbon dioxide into organic matter, thus contributing to the fight against climate change. Some algae, such as Chlorella, produce particularly high amounts of lipids, essential precursors for biofuel production. Professor Dr. Alexander Probst and Dr. Andre Soares from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) aim to identify, through infrared spectroscopy, which biomolecules are produced by which algae in the UDE’s culture collection focusing on previously understudied strains. "We want to identify algae strains that are suitable for biotechnological applications, for example, in the production of biofuels," explains Probst. The synchrotron in Berkeley is particularly suited for this, as it produces extremely pure infrared light, minimizing background noise in measurements and enabling accurate biomolecule detection.

Besides unlocking the biomolecule production, the team which includes PhD student Julian Künkel, is also interested in a basic understanding of algal interactions. They also focus on understanding how algae interact with other organisms, such as bacteria. These insights could provide valuable information on the ecology and functionality of algae in their natural ecosystems.

As early as 2024, the UDE team, in collaboration with the renowned Joint Genome Institute of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), took the first step towards decoding the genomes of more than 100 strains in the algae collection. By combining genomic analysis with high-resolution infrared spectroscopy at the synchrotron, the team will break new grounds in research: "The combination of genomic analyses and infrared spectromicroscopy at LBNL’s synchrotron is unheard-of," emphasises Probst. "We are not only decoding the genetic blueprints of the algae, but also simultaneously determine which biomolecules they produce."

The investigations at the Advanced Light Source at LBNL in Berkeley began on 1 January 2025 and will be conducted on-site until the end of June 2025, with many follow-up experiments and extended periods of data analysis. This collaboration represents a significant milestone for the internationally recognized water research at UDE and reflects the interdisciplinary nature of UDE’s research focus.