We are pleased to announce the publication of a new research article in the Journal of Fungi, authored by a research team from iBB – Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, DBE – Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico. The study was led by Isabel Sá-Correia, with Madalena Matos and Mónica Fernandes as co-first authors:
“Yeast Species Associated with Industrial Cultures of the Microalga Tisochrysis lutea: Temperature Profiles and Auxin Production.”
This work presents the first comprehensive characterisation of yeast species naturally associated with large-scale cultures of the marine microalga Tisochrysis lutea, a species of increasing industrial relevance in aquaculture and biotechnology. The study was conducted in collaboration with Necton S.A. (Olhão, Portugal), using samples collected across the full production pipeline—from laboratory-scale flasks to 18,000-liter photobioreactors. Researchers from CCMar, University of Algarve, also contributed to the work.
Microalgae production plays a key role in aquaculture, nutraceuticals, and sustainable bioprocessing. Understanding the microbial communities that coexist with microalgal cultures is essential for improving process robustness, preventing contamination, and identifying new biotechnological opportunities.
iBB, DBE, and IST congratulate the authors and collaborators on this achievement and encourage colleagues to read and share the full article.