Bioprocessing of Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011

Abstract

BackgroundGlobally, the development of a cost-effective long-term renewable energy infrastructure is one of the most challenging problems faced by society today. Microalgae are rich in potential biofuel substrates such as lipids, including triacylglycerols (TAGs). Some of these algae also biosynthesize small molecule hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons can often be used as liquid fuels, often with more versatility and by a more direct approach than some TAGs. However, the appropriate TAGs, accumulated from microalgae biomass, can be used as substrates for different kinds of renewable liquid fuels such as biodiesel and jet fuel.ResultsThis article describes the isolation and identification of a lipid-rich, hydrocarbon-producing alga, Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011, together with its bioprocessing, hydrocarbon and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles. The S. bacillaris strain siva2011 was scaled-up in an 8 L bioreactor with 0.2% CO2. The C16:0, C16:3, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 were 112.2, 9.4, 51.3, 74.1 and 69.2 mg/g dry weight (DW), respectively. This new strain produced a significant amount of biomass of 3.79 g/L DW on day 6 in the 8 L bioreactor and also produced three hydrocarbons.ConclusionsA new oil-rich microalga S. bacillaris strain siva2011 was discovered and its biomass has been scaled-up in a newly designed balloon-type bioreactor. The TAGs and hydrocarbons produced by this organism could be used as substrates for jet fuel or biodiesel.

Screening and Evaluation of Some Green Algal Strains (Chlorophyceae) Isolated from Freshwater and Soda Lakes for Biofuel Production

“…Recent studies [18][19][20] prove that algae have inherent advantageous qualities like rapid biomass formation, high lipid content, tolerance for extreme environments, and thus they have generated significantly increased interest as potential feedstocks for biodiesel.…”

Biomass and RRR-α-tocopherol production in Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011 in a balloon bioreactor

“…For instance, freshwater Euglena gracilis [ 33 ], marine Dunaliella tertiolecta and Tetraselmis suecica [ 34 ], model system Chlamydomonas reinhardtii [ 35 ], and commercial algae Spirulina platensis [ 36 ] have been used to biosynthesize RRR -α-tocopherol. The new green alga, S. bacillaris strain siva2011 [ 16 ], produces significant amounts of RRR -α-tocopherol. This microalga has efficient photosynthetic mechanisms which facilitate the quick biosynthesis of vitamin E.…”

“…To increase RRR -α-tocopherol content in S. bacillaris strain siva2011, MeJa elicitation was also used. The S. bacillaris strain siva2011 characteristics, culture conditions, and bioreactor experimental designs were previously reported for lipid production [ 16 ].…”

“…However, knowledge regarding the bioprocessing of green algal cells for production of RRR -α-tocopherol in balloon bioreactors is limited. Previously, Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011 biomass was scaled-up in a lab-scale balloon bioreactor (4 L - 8 L), and a linear fitting model for predicting scale-up was proposed [ 16 ]. The S. bacillaris strain siva2011 has unique lipid (Figure 1 ) [ 16 ] and vitamin E metabolisms to lead to bioactive RRR -α-tocopherol production.…”

“…Previously, Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011 biomass was scaled-up in a lab-scale balloon bioreactor (4 L - 8 L), and a linear fitting model for predicting scale-up was proposed [ 16 ]. The S. bacillaris strain siva2011 has unique lipid (Figure 1 ) [ 16 ] and vitamin E metabolisms to lead to bioactive RRR -α-tocopherol production. A nonlinear model enables more accurate estimates and should provide insight for quantitatively predicating algal biomass accumulation in a large volume bioreactor.…”