Biotechnology for Commercial Production of Edible Nostoc as a New Aquatic Crop Plant

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Nostoc commune is an edible cyanobacterium forming the spherical macrocolony, which is used as a potent herbal medicine and dietary supplement. Due to its nutraceutical and pharmacological value, the N. commune has received increasing attention, and the market demand has grown drastically during the last decade. However, low yield and unstable quality caused by inadequate production methods has prevented the further expansion of Nostoc commune in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets. In Algaen Corporation, we propose that Nostoc commune could be explored as a new crop plant used for nutrition food and herbal medicine by cultivating in a suitable photobioreactor on a commercial scale, using innovations in microalgal biotechnology. The technology developed from this project will enable us to launch commercial production of high quality edible Nostoc commune as an effective while affordable herbal medicine and dietary supplement, which has a current market of $50 million annually.