Microalgal biomass production

Microalgae are able to get energy from different metabolisms (Richmond and Qian 2004). In autotrophic metabolism, in the presence of light, organisms are able to convert CO2 and water into biomass. Already heterotrophic systems are a different approach to microalgal biomass production with elimination of light requirement and CO2 absorption. 

Jorquera, O. Kiperstok, A. Sales, E. A. Embirucu, M. Ghirardi, M. L. Comparative energy life-cycle analyses of microalgal biomass production in open ponds and photobioreactors. Bioresour. Technol. 2010,101, 1406-1413. 

Chiu, S.-Y, Kao, C.-Y, Huang, T.-T, Lin, C.-J., Ong, S.-C., Chen, C.-D., et al., 2011. Microalgal biomass production and on-site bioremediation of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide from flue gas using CMorella sp. cultures. Bioresource Technology 102 (19), 9135-9142. 

Douskova, I., Doucha, J., Livansky, K., Machat, J., Novak, P., Umysova, D., et al., 2009. Simultaneous flue gas bioremediation and reduction of microalgal biomass production costs. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 82 (1), 179-185. 

Hirano, A., Hon-Nami, K., Kunito, S., Hada, M., and Ogushi, T. (1998). Temperature Effect on Continuous Gasification of Microalgal Biomass Theoretical Yield of Methanol Production and its Energy Balance, Catalysis Today 45. pp. 399-404. 

Stewart CC, Pinckney J, Piceno Y, Lovell CR (1992) Bacterial Numbers and Activity, Microalgal Biomass and Productivity, and Meiofaunal Distribution in Sediments Naturally Contaminated with Biogenic Bromophenols. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 90 61... 

Steward, C.C., Pinckney, J., Piceno, Y., and Lovell, C.R., Bacterial numbers and activity, microalgal biomass and productivity, and meiofaunal distribution in sediments naturally contaminated with biogenic bromophenols, Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 90, 61, 1992. 

Durand-Chaste, M.H. "Proceedings", Conference on Production and Use of Microalgal Biomass, Acre, Israel, Sept 17-22, 1978. 

Figure 3 Evolution of biomass concentration (A), biomass productivity (B), and photon absorption rate (C) as a function of the residence time applied to the cultivation system. This illustrates the strong relation between all variables in microalgal cultivation system, as explained by the direct effect on light attenuation conditions. The example is here given for C vulgaris. (D) The relation between biomass productivity and photon absorption rate.

Microalgal Species Mode of Operation Types of Photobio- Reactor Volume of the Reactor G-) Maximum Biomass Produced (g/L) Biomass Productivity (g/lVd)... 

The end message is that the key for success is in having multiple uses for the microalgal biomass, such that there are many products which may share the financial and environmental costs. The other advantage then is that there would not be as much waste generated. This model is not new. Most successful industrial crops, for example, soybean, com, coconut, have many and varied downstream products. It is the same with petroleum itself and the same must be done for microalgal systems if they are to succeed. 

Cho, S. Park, S. Seon, J. Yu, J. Lee, T. Evaluation of thermal, ultrasonic and alkali pretreatments on mixed-microalgal biomass to enhance anaerobic methane production. Bioresour. Technol. 2013,... 

Harun, R. Danquah, M. K. Enzymatic hydrolysis of microalgal biomass for bioethanol production. Chem. Eng. J. 2011a, 168, 1079-1084. 

Harun, R., Danquah, M.K. and Forde, G.M. (2010) Microalgal biomass as a fermentation feedstock for bioethanol production,/. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol, 95(2), 199-203. 

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