Optimizing photon dose and frequency to enhance lipid productivity of thermophilic algae for biofuel production

Said Abu-Ghosh; Zvy Dubinsky; Gabi Banet; David Iluz

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2018.03.110

Optimizing photon dose and frequency to enhance lipid productivity of thermophilic algae for biofuel production

Bioresour Technol. 2018 Jul:260:374-379. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.03.110. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Authors

Said Abu-Ghosh¹, Zvy Dubinsky², Gabi Banet³, David Iluz²

Affiliations

¹ The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; Bar Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel. Electronic address: said.abu-ghosh1@biu.ac.il.
² The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
³ The Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, 86910, Israel.

PMID: 29665528
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.03.110

Abstract

The aim of this work was to examine the potential of the thermophilic green microalga Micractinium sp. to accumulate triacylglycerols (TAGs) and to develop a light strategy to increase TAG productivity in this alga. To this end, dense cultures of Micractinium sp. were grown at 37 °C under nitrogen (N) starvation and exposed to a light intensity of 1000 µmol photons m^-2 s^-1 of different light regimes. The highest per-biomass TAG-content and maximal volumetric productivities of TAG were displayed by the cultures grown under flashing light of 5 Hz with 50% duty cycle. Based on the results, a sufficiently high-starting culture density should be combined with a high irradiance delivered by an appropriate light regime to enhance the production of biomass enriched TAGs.

Keywords: Biofuel; Biomass; Flashing light; Micractinium; TAG; Thermophilic algae.

MeSH terms

Biofuels*
Biomass
Light
Lipids*
Nitrogen
Photons

Substances

Biofuels
Lipids
Nitrogen