Tribonema minus was isolated in 2017 by MicroBio Engineering Inc. (MBE) as part of the US Department of Energy funded Algae Biomass Yield Phase 2 (ABY2) project. This strain originated from a wastewater treatment pond in San Luis Obispo, California and is highly productive in outdoor raceway systems. Photos courtesy of MBE.

The genome and transcriptome sequences were not determined by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). The genome was sequenced with PacBio and Illumina, and then assembled with Canu by Krissy Mahan at Sandia National Laboratories. The transcriptome was sequenced with Illumina by Krissy, and then assembled with Trinity by JGI. Subsequently, all of the above data were inputted into the JGI Annotation Pipeline, which produced a final structural and functional annotation.

Tribonema minus UTEX B ZZ1240 was isolated in 2017 during the US Department of Energy funded ABY2 project. This strain originated from a wastewater treatment pond in San Luis Obispo, California and is highly productive in outdoor raceway systems.

The filamentous yellow-green alga Tribonema minus belongs to the class Xanthophyceae and the order Tribonematales. This species is common to many freshwater and wastewater ecosystems and are distinguished by their filamentous non-branching, H-shaped bipartite walls. Members of this genus have previously been reported to be high lipid and carbohydrate producers making these organisms potential candidates for biofuel production. In addition, these strains can be harvested without chemical flocculants and have applications in bioremediation of toxic compounds.