Studies of arctic Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C for biodiesel production

Abstract

Biodiesel has attracted interest because this fuel not only can replace the conventional diesel as petroleum fuel but has a low effect to environmental issue. Biodiesel produced by polar microalgae could be used in cold countries, because it has advantages that clogging can be prevented in the fuel supply due to high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids which lower the melting point of biodiesel. In this study, we visualized intracellular lipid formations of Arctic KNM0029C, and analyzed contents of fatty acids by using GC. In addition, to enhance the cell mass and lipid production of KNM0029C, we optimized medium component of Tris-acetate-phosphate (TAP). In conclusion, main fatty acids contents were C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, and C20:2 at 4°C and its maximum lipid production reached 178.6mg L-1 which was 2.3-fold higher than that of C. reinhardtii CC-125 as mesophilic strain. When KNM0029C was cultured in optimized TAP medium, total cell numbers and lipid production were increased to ~35% and ~10%, respectively. The results of the present study could potentially contribute toward large-scale lipid production at low temperatures.