Formation of lipid-nucleic acid complexes

Abstract

Emiliania huxleyi is an abundant unicellular marine alga and an essential part of the food web. E. huxleyi removes carbon dioxide from the oceans and atmosphere by two processes: photosynthesis and the production of a protective calcium carbonate shell. The genome of E. huxleyi has been sequenced but there is only one report of a stable genetic modification. We’re attempting to stably modify the genome of E. huxleyi using lipid-nucleic acid complexes (LNACs) which can carry genes into the cell. This technology has been used in the mRNA vaccines for Covid-19. LNACs form spontaneously upon mixing an organic solution of lipids with an aqueous solution of plasmid DNA. Jeffs et al. have shown that LNACs can be used to genetically modify mammalian cells. We are using a similar formulation in our initial attempts to genetically modify E. huxleyi.