Monday, May 4, 2009
11-30
Analysis of hydrocarbons produced by marine microalga, Scenedesmus sp. JPCC GA0024
Mitsufumi Matsumoto1, Yoshiaki Maeda2, Tsuyoshi Tanaka2, and Tadashi Matsunaga2. (1) Biotechnology Laboratory, Technology Development Center, Wakamatsu Research Institute, 1, Yanagasaki, Wakamatsu,, Kitakyusyu, 808-0111, Japan, (2) Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Japan
Microalgae, the largest primary biomass, have been attracting attention as a source of high-lipid material to produce biofuel because photosynthetic conversion is an efficient and alternative process and they do not compete with food crops. Especially, the cultivation of marine microalgae under seawater conditions has several advantages in practical application due to low land costs and free seawaters, and preventing contaminant microorganisms from preferentially growing. Our research group has launched the selection of marine microalgae with high neutral lipid content from marine microalgal culture correction in our laboratories to fulfill the open ocean aquaculture of microalgae. Analysis of hydrocarbons produced by a selected strain, Scenedesmus sp. JPCC GA0024 was performed under various culture conditions. Growth of JPCC GA0024 was significantly affected by seawater concentrations, and little growth was observed in 0 % seawater conditions. Lipid accumulation also depended on seawater concentration. The highest lipid accumulation was observed in 100 % seawater conditions. Gas chromatography / mass spectrometry analysis indicates that lipid fraction mainly contained straight-chain hydrocarbons including mainly hexadecane and 1-docosene. The strain JPCC GA0024 will become a promising resource that can grow as dominant species in the open ocean toward production of both liquid and solid biofuels.