Transgenic photosynthetic microorganisms and photobioreactor

A method for processing a feedstock comprising:

• cultivating a photosynthetic microorganism;
• isolating a feedstock from the photosynthetic microorganism;
• and
• processing the feedstock;
• wherein at least one of the following is satisfied
• (i) cultivating the photosynthetic microorganism comprises cultivating the photosynthetic microorganism in a photobioreactor, the photobioreactor comprising (a) a non-gelatinous, solid cultivation support suitable for providing nutrients and moisture to photosynthetic microorganisms on at least a portion of a surface thereof, wherein said portion of the surface has a topography that allows photosynthetic microorganisms to adhere thereto when said portion of the surface is oriented non-horizontally;
• and (b) a physical barrier covering at least said portion of the surface of the cultivation support, wherein the physical barrier is configured so as to allow inoculation of said portion of the surface of the cultivation support, formation and maintenance of an environment suitable for the cultivation of such photosynthetic microorganisms, and harvesting of such cultivated photosynthetic microorganisms;
• or
• (ii) the photosynthetic microorganism is a transgenic photosynthetic microorganism comprising an artificial DNA construct comprising, as operably associated components in the 5′ to 3′ direction of transcription:
• (a) a promoter functional in the photosynthetic microorganism cell;
• (b) (1) a polynucleotide comprising a first nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having disaccharide phosphate synthase activity and a second nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having disaccharide phosphate phosphatase activity or (2) a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having disaccharide phosphate synthase activity and disaccharide phosphate phosphatase activity;
• and (c) a transcriptional termination sequence;
• wherein the transgenic photosynthetic microorganism accumulates increased levels of the disaccharide compared to a photosynthetic microorganism not comprising the DNA construct.