Microalgae are microorganisms that carry out photosynthesis and live in aquatic environments, both marine and freshwater.
They have various uses, such as in food supplements, in the cosmetics industry, as an ingredient in aquaculture feed, carbon capture, and are also being investigated as a potential source of biofuels and as biopesticides.
They also constitute a raw material with applications in the agroindustry to improve crops. Biostimulants from microalgae act as complements to traditional fertilizers, optimizing the absorption of nutrients by plants. This synergy results in a lower need for chemical fertilization, thus promoting more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
In the province of Chiriquí, Byron Elhyel Álvarez, a graduate in chemistry and currently a student of the Master’s degree in Chemical Sciences with an emphasis on food safety at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí, participated, together with his colleague Andrea Polo, in the “New Researchers” program in 2021 of the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt), with the project “Biostimulants from microalgae”. His tutor was Dr. Ariadna Batista.
“Our project consisted of sampling different strains of microalgae throughout the rice-growing regions of Chiriquí, in this case, the regions of Alanje and Barú. We obtained samples from some bodies of water in these rice-growing areas and isolated strains that were in these aquatic ecosystems,” says Álvarez.
These microalgae strains produce compounds of interest. To identify them molecularly, they isolated the strains and used PCR techniques, managing to identify two strains: Chlorella vulgaris y Chlorella sorokiniana. Both are tolerant of contaminants and extreme conditions.
To scale up their volume, they cultivated them in the laboratory and obtained a biomass of the microalgae. They carried out some bioassays on rice and watercress seeds, and determined the germination rate, that is, how it varied with the presence of these microalgae.
“These microalgae produce phytohormones that stimulate plant growth, making them more robust and giving them greater resistance to abiotic stress, for example, drought and extreme temperatures.” The plant will develop better due to these stimulants. This translates into savings in fertilizers for producers.
Through the Senacyt Public Call for Research Mobility MOV-2022-09, researchers from the Center for Research on Natural Products and Biotechnology (Cipnabiot) of Unachi, Andrea Polo, Byron Álvarez, Miguel Vega and Dr. Ariadna Batista, coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Chemical Sciences, did an internship in Spain.
In collaboration with the Marine Microalgae Biotechnology Group of the University of Almería and under the direction of Dr. Francisco Gabriel Acien, the Panamanian researchers in training developed tests to determine the biostimulant effect of these algae.
“In Almería, this line of research is quite developed. We managed to obtain favourable results,” says Byron. “We put the bioassays against a control, which was the pure phytohormone, and we saw that the microalgae biomass had similar results to the application of the pure hormone. This indicates that we could obtain this biomass from bioalgae to improve crops in our country.”
Microalgae are also capable of purifying wastewater. “What we do is obtain biomass from algae in wastewater treatment, recover that wastewater that can be returned to bodies of water without causing further pollution, and also take advantage of the biomass for the farmer.”
Byron Álvarez and Andrea Polo participated in the first round of New Researchers of 2024. Byron will investigate wastewater purification with microalgae and Andrea, the production of biostimulants. “We are going to purify dairy waste, that line of research really catches my attention, how can we help the community to obtain compounds of interest, products from things that we discard like wastewater that is highly polluting, to generate a circular economy in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals. Since the master’s degree in Chemical Sciences, I continue developing the line of research in microalgae biotechnology and in the future I would like to study a doctorate in biotechnology.”
The main objective of the “New Researchers” program is to encourage research and innovation among university students, to contribute to the professional development of future scientists and technologists, with the appropriate skills to face the challenges in their fields of study.
On August 9, the student researchers and research tutors of 35 scientific research projects that were successfully completed between 2023 and 2024 were recognized.
