From 24 to 26 July 2026, the International Conference on Algae and Sustainability (ALGS 2026) brought together researchers, industry, and policymakers in Nanchang, China. Developed from the earlier International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts, this year’s broadened edition covered the full value chain of algae research, from fundamental biology to industrial implementation. Three members of the SUN-PERFORM consortium were there to represent the project.
Sarah D’Adamo, SUN-PERFORM’s project coordinator at Wageningen University & Research, chaired the session “Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering of Algae” and presented “Designing Microalgal Platforms for the Future of Bio-Based Manufacturing.” Univ.-Prof. Dr. Olaf Kruse, from CeBiTec – Center for Biotechnology at Bielefeld University, served as Co-Chair of the conference itself. Jacob Kneip, also from CeBiTec, presented a poster on “Metabolic Engineering of Fatty Acid Precursor Supply for High-Density Photoautotrophic Lipid Production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii” — which went on to receive a Poster Award as one of the best of the conference.
Research priorities aligned with the project’s work
As part of the conference, organisers conducted a community survey to identify the most pressing open questions in algal science. Several of the questions that emerged closely reflect directions SUN-PERFORM is already pursuing — among them, the fundamental limits to photosynthetic efficiency and how they might be overcome to maximise carbon fixation, the role of synthetic biology tools such as CRISPR in enhancing algal productivity, and how carbon partitioning in microalgae can be directed towards high-value products without compromising growth. Seeing these questions surface independently, through a broad community process, is a useful signal that the project’s approach is addressing problems the wider field also considers priorities.
A session worth sharing
One presentation that caught the attention of the project coordinator concerned a solar spectrum-tailored fluorescent film developed to improve light management in open raceway ponds. By reflecting near-infrared radiation and converting green light towards the red wavelengths algae use more efficiently, the film was reported to increase microalgal biomass productivity by around 40% while reducing water use by 24%, based on lab-scale trials. The approach shares some conceptual ground with SUN-PERFORM’s own light-harvesting work, and it is one the consortium will be keeping an eye on.
Looking ahead
The conference also saw the announcement of a proposal for a new International Algae Technology Alliance for Sustainability (IATAS), initiated by Nanchang University together with a coalition of international research institutes and industry partners. SUN-PERFORM will be following this initiative with interest as it develops.