Isolation and identification of psychrophilic Chlamydomonas sp. ArF0032 from Arctic sea ice

Abstract

Microalgae are able to convert solar energy and carbon dioxide to energy storage compounds like oil and starch, which can be exploited for food and biofuels. The Arctic microalgae (ArF0032) isolated from sea ice near Dasan Station in Ny-Alesund was analyzed to evaluate the optimal growth condition and lipid contents. ArF0032 has an optimal growth temperature of 4℃, reaching densities up to 1.7 × 107 cells/mL. Lipid body formation was visualized by Nile red staining and fluorescence microscopy. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was analyzed using gas chromatography. The ArF0032 showed fatty acid contents, which were dominated by palmitic acid (C16:0), 5,8,11-heptadecatrienoic acid (C17:3), oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3). The ArF0032 presented maximum percentage (20%) of oleic acid and the content of unsaturated fatty acids (72.1%) was higher than that of saturated fatty acid (9%). Chlamydomonas sp. ArF0032 grows and produces fatty acids at low temperature and may represent a good source for biodiesel production in cold environments.