Masanori Hiraoka, Yutaro Kinoshita, Motoki Higa, Shuntaro Tsubaki, Alvin P. Monotilla, Ayumu Onda, Akinori Dan
Microalgae with high growth rates have been considered as promising organisms to replace fossil resources with contemporary primary production as a renewable source. However, their microscopic size makes it hard to be harvested for industrial applications. In this regard, multicellular macroalgae are more suitable for harvesting. Here, we show that Ulva meridionalis has the highest growth rate ever reported for a multicellular autotrophic plant. Contrasted to the known bloom-forming species U. prolifera growing at an approximately two-fold growth rate per day in optimum conditions, U. meridionalis grows at a daily rate of over fourfold. The high growth ability of this multicellular alga would provide the most effective method for CO2 fixation and biomass production. © 2020, The Author(s).
Usa Marine Biological Institute, Kochi University, 194 Inoshiri, Usa, Kochi, 781-1164, Tosa, Japan; Science Department, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Science, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780-8520, Japan; Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780-8520, Japan; Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, 152-8550, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780-8520, Japan; Biology Department, University of San Carlos, Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines; Research Laboratory of Hydrothermal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kochi University, 2-17-47 Asakurahonmachi, Kochi, 780-8073, Japan; Education and Research Center for Aquascience, Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokushima University, 96-14 Seto, Dounoura, Naruto, 771-0361, Tokushima, Japan
