Edible fungi-assisted harvesting system for efficient microalgae bio-flocculation

Shanshan Luo; Xiaodan Wu; Haobin Jiang; Mengling Yu; Yuhuan Liu; Andy Min; Wenkui Li; Roger Ruan

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2019.03.033

Edible fungi-assisted harvesting system for efficient microalgae bio-flocculation

Bioresour Technol. 2019 Jun:282:325-330. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.03.033. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

Authors

Shanshan Luo¹, Xiaodan Wu², Haobin Jiang¹, Mengling Yu¹, Yuhuan Liu², Andy Min³, Wenkui Li¹, Roger Ruan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Food Science and MOE Biomass Energy Center, Nangchang University, Nanchang 330013, PR China.
³ Center for Biorefining, and Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering Department, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
⁴ Center for Biorefining, and Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering Department, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA. Electronic address: ruanx001@umn.edu.

PMID: 30877913
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.03.033

Abstract

Conventional flocculants, commonly used to improve harvesting efficiency, can contaminate the broth and cause microalgae not suitable for food or feed production. In the present study, Pleurotus ostreatus, an edible fungal strain, was developed to improve the harvesting efficiency of microalgae. The results show that Pleurotus ostreatus pellets cultured under 100 rpm agitation resulted in higher harvesting efficiency than pellets cultured under 0 rpm and 150 rpm agitation. Lower pH of the Chlorella sp. suspension resulted in higher harvesting efficiency. The maximum recovery efficiency reached 64.86% in 150 mins. The above process could be used to achieve low cost, flocculant-free harvesting of microalgae as feedstock for feed or food production.

Keywords: Chlorella sp.; Flocculant; Harvesting; Pleurotus ostreatus.

MeSH terms

Chlorella*
Flocculation*
Microalgae*
Pleurotus*