Diadesmis isolate:DCSV | breed:EUKARYOTIC | cultivar:SHRISTY GAUTAM
Diadesmis confervacea produces substantial amounts of oil which could be utilized as biofuel. We discovered that oil exocytoses spontaneously from cells of D. confervacea, a new observation for diatoms. Morphological observation shows about 50% of cultured diatoms oozing oil by the 10th day of culture and about 80% oozing by the end of a month. When the 31st day plates were subcultured on fresh media they resumed active growth, division and oil production and oozing in a similar manner over the following month.