Scientists have found a way to grow Spirulina that produces biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef, potentially overcoming one of the biggest nutritional limitations of this widely promoted algae.
The research, published in the scientific journal Discover Food, was led by Dr. Asaf Tzachor, Founder and Academic Director of the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program at Reichman University, together with researchers from Iceland, Denmark and Austria. Using advanced biotechnology and carefully controlled light conditions, the team produced carbon-neutral, nutrient-rich Spirulina biomass containing active vitamin B12. According to the researchers, this is the first time biologically active vitamin B12 has been reported in Spirulina.
A Global Vitamin B12 Problem
Vitamin B12 is an essential micronutrient involved in several critical processes in the body, including red blood cell formation and normal nervous system function. More than a billion people worldwide are estimated to have low levels of the vitamin.
For many people, meat and dairy products are important dietary sources of B12. The recommended intake cited by the researchers is 2.4 µg/day. However, producing animal-based foods at the scale required to meet global demand also carries environmental costs, which has driven interest in more sustainable alternatives.
Spirulina blue green algae (Arthrospira platensis) has often been promoted as one such option because it is nutrient dense and can be cultivated with a relatively small environmental footprint. But there has been a major obstacle.
Traditional Spirulina contains much of its B12 in the form of pseudo-vitamin B12. Although chemically similar to the vitamin humans need, this form is not bioavailable to people, meaning the body cannot effectively use it. That limitation has prevented conventional Spirulina from serving as a reliable replacement for animal-sourced vitamin B12.
Using Light to Change Spirulina’s Nutrition
To address that problem, researchers from Reichman University, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Ruppin Academic Center, Danish Technological Institute, and MATIS, Iceland, carried out an exploratory study of a biotechnology platform developed by VAXA Technologies in Iceland.
The team examined the system’s engineering design, its inputs (such as energy), and the nutritional composition of the biomass it produced.
A central feature of the technology is photonic management (modified light conditions). By changing the light environment in which Spirulina grows, the researchers were able to encourage production of biologically active vitamin B12.
The cultivated Spirulina also contained other bioactive compounds associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties.
Most notably, the resulting carbon-neutral biomass contained 1.64 µg of active vitamin B12 per 100 grams, compared with 0.7-1.5 μg per 100 grams in beef.
Dr. Asaf Tzachor explains, “the findings demonstrate that photosynthetically controlled Spirulina can produce desirable levels of active vitamin B12, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional animal-source foods.”
Could Spirulina Supply Vitamin B12 at Scale?
The researchers also explored what could happen if the system were expanded far beyond its current scale.
In one scenario, reallocating electricity currently used by heavy industry in Iceland could support production of 277,950 tonnes of Spirulina biomass each year. The researchers estimate that this amount would contain about 4555 grams of active vitamin B12 annually.
According to their calculations, that quantity could provide the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for more than 13.8 million children aged 1-3.
More ambitious production scenarios could potentially supply enough vitamin B12 to meet the RDA for more than 26.5 million children aged 1-3 and more than 50 million children aged 0-6 months.
These figures are projections based on possible scale-up scenarios rather than existing production levels, but they illustrate the nutritional potential the researchers see in the technology.
A More Sustainable Source of an Essential Vitamin
If the approach can be successfully expanded, photosynthetically controlled Spirulina could provide another route for addressing vitamin B12 deficiency while reducing some dependence on meat and dairy production.
The work also highlights how biotechnology can alter the nutritional properties of microorganisms and other rapidly growing food sources. Rather than simply cultivating conventional Spirulina, researchers are changing the conditions under which it grows to encourage production of specific compounds that are useful to humans.
The findings represent a step toward developing more sustainable sources of essential nutrients, although further research and larger-scale production will be needed to determine how the technology could fit into real-world food systems.
Reichman University and the Aviram Foundation established the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program in response to growing environmental and public health challenges around the world. The program trains students from a range of disciplines to develop strategies for addressing resource scarcity, climate change, and extreme weather events, as well as food, water, and energy crises.
