Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa

Uses

Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa has been studied medicinally as a chelatory agent, for example to extract dioxins from the body. Possible medicinal uses include fibromyalgia, hypertension, and ulcerative colitis.{{Cite journal

Boraas reported a mutation in a population of Chlorella pyrenoidosa kept in his lab as a food stock for a population of flagellates. Due to a malfunction of his equipment some of the flagellates got in the Chlorella's tank. This caused a mutation from unicellular to multicellular.

For early work in this area, a science project by David and John Watkins at Fairborn High School tested use of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa to support generation of oxygen for use in space missions. This was reported in the January 31, 1959 edition of the Fairborn Daily Herald and the project went on to win a top ranking at the Ohio State science fair in Columbus Ohio that year. The brothers were 14 and 13 years old at the time and based part of their work on information from the Kettering Foundation.

This algae was used in a 1961 study by Boeing to explore the feasibility of using algae to provide oxygen on space missions.

References

References

1. "Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa (H.Chick) Molinari & Calvo-Pérez 2015 :: Algaebase".
2. (2007). "Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) supplementation decreases dioxin and increases immunoglobulin a concentrations in breast milk.". Journal of Medicinal Food.
3. Boraas, M. E.. (1983). "Predator induced evolution in chemostat culture". Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union.
4. "Large Algal Systems". [[Illinois Institute of Technology]].