SEOUL, Nov 18, 2007 -- Asia Pulse Data Source

South Koreans scientists Sunday said that they have developed a microalgae that can be mass-produced as an animal feed supplement while also helping to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The team, led by biologist Oh Hee-mok at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), said it created spirulina M20CJK3 bacteria by using the ethyl methane sulfonate method.

Spirulina M20CJK3, a member of the cyanobacteria family, traps carbon dioxide (CO2) through photosynthesis of living organisms.

Oh said the new spirulina's CO2 fixation rate is 13 percent better than that of the widely known spirulina CG590.

CO2 is one of the main causes of global warming, with countries around the world devising various methods to reduce its presence in the air.

Oh said that under mass cultivation, the new spirulina has a stable CO2 fixation rate of 21.8 grams CO2/m2/d.

"This is about as good as the 20-40 grams CO2/m2/d fixation rate reached in tests conducted on similar microalgae by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory," Oh said.

The scientist then said if the production method is perfected, spirulina M20CJK3 could be sold as an aquatic animal feed supplement. Initial tests showed when fed the new microalgae, shrimp grew more than 10 percent larger than those that did not eat it, said Oh.

In addition to animal feed, South Korea imported about 80 billion won worth of the product in 2005 for both human and animal consumption.

Spirulina has high concentrations of protein, phycocyanin and useful acids that help strengthen the human immune system and impede cancer.

A paper on the project was published in the international Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters, and the KRIBB team is seeking international patent protection.

The project received state assistance through the 21st Century Frontier Research and Development Program, which is run by the Ministry of Science and Technology and aims to give South Korea an edge in the latest technologies that can help the country maintain sustainable growth into the future.

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