Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology Develops Cost-Reduction Technology for Microalgae Production

Haematococcus drying using dry film cultivation technology on the cultivation shelf in the marine microalgae culture room.

The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) announced on the 21st that it has developed a technology to cultivate Haematococcus, a microalga rich in natural astaxanthin, at a lower cost than before.

Haematococcus is a microalga characterized by accumulating a powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin under stress conditions such as high light intensity, high salinity, drought, and nutrient deficiency. The accumulated astaxanthin is used worldwide as a high value-added material in various industries including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food.

The research team, including U Yonggyun, a UST student researcher at KIOST Jeju Research Center, developed "solid cultivation" as an alternative to the "liquid cultivation" technology and published related research results in an international academic journal. A KIOST official stated, "As global interest in health increases, the dry film cultivation technology of Haematococcus is an achievement that can improve both the productivity and economic feasibility of astaxanthin," adding, "It is expected to be utilized in the future to increase biomass productivity through mass cultivation and to commercialize it as a bio-product."

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