UCSD and Cambridge researchers develop 3D coral-inspired structures for algae production

In California, researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, and the University of Cambridge, U.K., have 3D printed coral-inspired structures that are capable of growing dense populations of microscopic algae. The work, published April 9 in Nature Communications, could lead to the development of compact, more efficient bioreactors for producing algae-based biofuels. It could also help researchers better understand the intricate biology of the coral-algae relationship, and develop new techniques to repair and restore coral reefs.

In laboratory test settings, the printed coral structures were used as a platform to grow two different types of microalgae, which rapidly grew to achieve up to 100 times greater density than in liquid cultures. The species were Marinichlorella kaistiae, which has commercial potential, and Symbiodinium sp., the type of algae that populates corals in the wild.