Mixotrophy in microalgae allows them to use organic nutrients from the environment, not just sunlight, for growth. Researchers found that Tetraselmis suecica and Cyclotella cryptica can grow using both organic nutrients and sunlight, while Phaeodactylum tricornutum only grows with organic nutrients. When grown on glycerol, P. tricornutum had more cells and higher fatty acid content. This research shows that different carbon sources and harvesting times can change the characteristics of microalgae, which could be useful for creating specialized algae strains.