9816230 Cheney The objective of this project is to provide a bioprocess technology base for the cultivation of suspension cultures derived from red macroalgae in bioreactor systems, and to determine if these culture systems can be manipulated to produce secondary metabolites. Specific objectives are to: (1) develop cell and tissue suspension culture systems for red macroalgae which produce novel secondary metabolites, including Agarhiella subulata and Ochtodes secudiramea, with a secific focus on the development of rapidly growing microplantlet suspension cultures; (2) identify the process engineering factors that limit the growth kinetics of microplantlet suspension cultures of red macroalgae in photobioreactor systems; and (3) consider medium feeding strategies to alter production of secondary metabolites in microplantlet suspension cultures of red macroalgae with specific focus on the bromination of terpenoids by microplantlet cultures of Ochtodes secudiramea as a model system. ***
