Leptolyngbya


Leptolyngbya is a genus of cyanobacteria in the family Leptolyngbyaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution.

Distribution and habitat

Leptolyngbya sp. are present in a wide range of habitats, including freshwater, marine, and terrestrial locations, as well as extreme environments such as thermal springs.

Human uses

A 2022 study first investigated PHB formation in Leptolyngbya sp. NIVA-CYA 255, isolated from Egyptian soil. For this purpose, a three-stage cultivation process was carried out, consisting of an initial biomass growth phase and a two-stage product formation phase.PHB was isolated from Leptolyngbya valderiana and characterized by FTIR.
Due to the high carbon storage capacity and poly formation, Leptolyngbya sp. NIVA-CYA 255 is a promising candidate for PHB production. Further studies have demonstrated that Leptolyngbya possesses a balanced ratio of intracellular composition and high lipid content, and is therefore a suitable host for potential large-scale applications. Little is known about the storage lipid composition in Leptolyngbya species. Future work will focus on upscaling to a technical scale and monitoring the formation by LipidGreen2-based fluorometry.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Leptolyngbya: