Comparison of biomass and lipid production under ambient carbon dioxide vigorous aeration and 3% carbon dioxide condition among the lead candidate Chlorella strains screened by various photobioreactor scales

Lab-scale photobioreactor systems: principles, applications, and scalability

Phototrophic microorganisms that convert carbon dioxide are being explored for their capacity to solve different environmental issues and produce bioactive compounds for human therapeutics and as food additives. Full-scale phototrophic cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria can be done in open ponds or closed photobioreactor systems, which have a broad range of volumes. This review focuses on laboratory-scale photobioreactors and their different designs. Illuminated microtiter plates and microfluidic devices offer an option for automated high-throughput studies with microalgae. Illuminated shake flasks are used for simple uncontrolled batch studies. The application of illuminated bubble column reactors strongly emphasizes homogenous gas distribution, while illuminated flat plate bioreactors offer high and uniform light input. Illuminated stirred-tank bioreactors facilitate the application of very well-defined reaction conditions. Closed tubular photobioreactors as well as open photobioreactors like small-scale raceway ponds and thin-layer cascades are applied as scale-down models of the respective large-scale bioreactors. A few other less common designs such as illuminated plastic bags or aquarium tanks are also used mainly because of their relatively low cost, but up-scaling of these designs is challenging with additional light-driven issues. Finally, this review covers recommendations on the criteria for photobioreactor selection and operation while up-scaling of phototrophic bioprocesses with microalgae or cyanobacteria.

CO2 supply modulates lipid remodelling, photosynthetic and respiratory activities in Chlorella species

Microalgae represent a potential solution to reduce CO2 emission exploiting their photosynthetic activity. Here, the physiologic and metabolic responses at the base of CO2 assimilation were investigated in conditions of high or low CO2 availability in two of the most promising algae species for industrial cultivation, Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlorella vulgaris. In both species, high CO2 availability increased biomass accumulation with specific increase of triacylglycerols in C. vulgaris and polar lipids and proteins in C. sorokiniana. Moreover, high CO2 availability caused only in C. vulgaris a reduced NAD(P)H/NADP+ ratio and reduced mitochondrial respiration, suggesting a CO2 dependent increase of reducing power consumption in the chloroplast, which in turn influences the redox state of the mitochondria. Several rearrangements of the photosynthetic machinery were observed in both species, differing from those described for the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, where adaptation to carbon availability is mainly controlled by the translational repressor NAB1. NAB1 homologous protein could be identified only in C. vulgaris but lacked the regulation mechanisms previously described in C. reinhardtii. Acclimation strategies to cope with a fluctuating inorganic carbon supply are thus diverse among green microalgae, and these results suggest new biotechnological strategies to boost CO2 fixation.

Insights into the physiology of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in sweet sorghum bagasse hydrolysate for sustainable algal biomass and lipid production

Supplementing cultivation media with exogenous carbon sources enhances biomass and lipid production in microalgae. Utilization of renewable organic carbon from agricultural residues can potentially reduce the cost of algae cultivation, while enhancing sustainability. In the present investigation a medium was developed from sweet sorghum bagasse for cultivation of Chlorella under mixotrophic conditions. Using response surface methodology, the optimal values of critical process parameters were determined, namely inoculum cell density (O.D.₇₅₀) of 0.786, SSB hydrolysate content of the medium 25% v/v, and zero medium salinity, to achieve maximum lipid productivity of 120 mg/L/d. Enhanced biomass (3.44 g/L) and lipid content (40% of dry cell weight) were observed when the alga was cultivated in SSB hydrolysate under mixotrophic conditions compared to heterotrophic and photoautotrophic conditions. A time course investigation revealed distinct physiological responses in terms of cellular growth and biochemical composition of C. vulgaris cultivated in the various trophic modes. The determined carbohydrate and lipid profiles indicate that sugar addition to the cultivation medium boosts neutral lipid synthesis compared to structural lipids, suggesting that carbon flux is channeled towards triacylglycerol synthesis in the cells. Furthermore, the fatty acid profile of lipids extracted from mixotrophically grown cultures contained more saturated and monosaturated fatty acids, which are suitable for biofuel manufacturing. Scale-up studies in a photobioreactor using SSB hydrolysate achieved a biomass concentration of 2.83 g/L consisting of 34% lipids and 26% carbohydrates. These results confirmed that SSB hydrolysate is a promising feedstock for mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella and synthesis of algal bioproducts and biofuels.

Autotrophic growth and lipid production of Chlorella sorokiniana in lab batch and BIOCOIL photobioreactors: Experiments and modeling

A novel mathematical model for the quantitative assessment of the effect of dissolved nitrogen on the autotrophic batch-growth and lipid accumulation of Chlorella sorokiniana, is proposed in this work. Model results have been validated through comparison with suitable experimental data performed in lab photobioreactors. Further experiments have been then performed using the BIOCOIL photobioreactor operated in fed-batch mode. The experimental results, which show that a maximum growth rate of 0.52day(-1) and a lipid content equal to 25%wt can be achieved with the BIOICOIL, have been successfully predicted through the proposed model. Therefore, the model might represent a first step toward the development of a tool for the scale-up and optimization of the operating conditions of BIOCOIL photobioreactors. Finally, the fatty acid methyl esters obtained by trans-esterification of lipids extracted from C. sorokiniana, have been analyzed in view of the assessment of their usability for producing biodiesel.

CO2 Biofixation and Growth Kinetics of Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis gaditana

CO2 biofixation was investigated using tubular bioreactors (15 and 1.5 l) either in the presence of green algae Chlorella vulgaris or Nannochloropsis gaditana. The cultivation was carried out in the following conditions: temperature of 25 °C, inlet-CO2 of 4 and 8 vol%, and artificial light enhancing photosynthesis. Higher biofixation were observed in 8 vol% CO2 concentration for both microalgae cultures than in 4 vol%. Characteristic process parameters such as productivity, CO2 fixation, and kinetic rate coefficient were determined and discussed. Simplified and advanced methods for determination of CO2 fixation were compared. In a simplified method, it is assumed that 1 kg of produced biomass equals 1.88 kg recycled CO2. Advance method is based on empirical results of the present study (formula with carbon content in biomass). It was observed that application of the simplified method can generate large errors, especially if the biomass contains a relatively low amount of carbon. N. gaditana is the recommended species for CO2 removal due to a high biofixation rate-more than 1.7 g/l/day. On day 10 of cultivation, the cell concentration was more than 1.7 × 10(7) cells/ml. In the case of C. vulgaris, the maximal biofixation rate and cell concentration did not exceed 1.4 g/l/day and 1.3 × 10(7) cells/ml, respectively.

Efficient lipid extraction and quantification of fatty acids from algal biomass using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE)

Accelerated solvent extraction optimized for extraction of algal lipids and recovery of polyunsaturated fatty acids.