Sen, ArindomAlcantara, JoenelClark, Brendan Robert2016-10-112016-10-1120162016http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3422Millions of individuals rely on recombinant proteins such as essential biopharmaceuticals. Recently, genetically engineered microalgae have been identified as a potentially inexpensive and fast growing host organism for recombinant protein production. Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a species of unicellular green microalgae, the goal was to improve algal cell growth kinetics, genetically engineer the cells and develop a bioprocess to analyze recombinant protein production. C. reinhardtii growth kinetics were improved under mixotrophic growth conditions using acetate in small scale 10 mL cultures. This process was scaled-up to 500 mL spinner flask suspension bioreactors and through the use of a fed-batch acetate feeding strategy, cell growth rates and maximum cell concentrations were improved. A genetic construct was designed, manufactured, isolated and used to genetically transform C. reinhardtii. A bioprocess was then developed to isolate and analyze protein production rates from these cells. Results indicated product concentrations of 8.44 mg/L of culture.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.MicrobiologyEngineering--BiomedicalEngineering--ChemicalBioprocess EngineeringBiochemical EngineeringChlamydomonas reinhardtiiAlgal BiotechnologyRecombinant Protein ProductionGenetic EngineeringChemical EngineeringMicroalgae Culturemaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/26485