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Carbon dioxide utilisation of Dunaliella tertiolecta for carbon bio-mitigation in a semicontinuous photobioreactor

  • Environmental biotechnology
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Abstract

Bio-fixation of carbon dioxide (CO2) by microalgae has been recognised as an attractive approach to offset anthropogenic emissions. Biological carbon mitigation is the process whereby autotrophic organisms, such as microalgae, convert CO2 into organic carbon and O2 through photosynthesis; this process through respiration produces biomass. In this study Dunaliella tertiolecta was cultivated in a semicontinuous culture to investigate the carbon mitigation rate of the system. The algae were produced in 1.2-L Roux bottles with a working volume of 1 L while semicontinuous production commenced on day 4 of cultivation when the carbon mitigation rate was found to be at a maximum for D. tertiolecta. The reduction in CO2 between input and output gases was monitored to predict carbon fixation rates while biomass production and microalgal carbon content are used to calculate the actual carbon mitigation potential of D. tertiolecta. A renewal rate of 45 % of flask volume was utilised to maintain the culture in exponential growth with an average daily productivity of 0.07 g L−1 day−1. The results showed that 0.74 g L−1 of biomass could be achieved after 7 days of semicontinuous production while a total carbon mitigation of 0.37 g L−1 was achieved. This represented an increase of 0.18 g L−1 in carbon mitigation rate compared to batch production of D. tertiolecta over the same cultivation period.

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Acknowledgments

This publication has emanated from research conducted with the financial support of Science Foundation Ireland under grant number 06/CP/E001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biosystems Engineering, University College Dublin, Room 3.25, Agriculture and Food Science Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Damien J. Farrelly, Liam Brennan & Colm D. Everard

  2. Crop Science, School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Kevin P. McDonnell

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  1. Damien J. Farrelly
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  2. Liam Brennan
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  3. Colm D. Everard
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  4. Kevin P. McDonnell
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Correspondence to Damien J. Farrelly.

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Farrelly, D.J., Brennan, L., Everard, C.D. et al. Carbon dioxide utilisation of Dunaliella tertiolecta for carbon bio-mitigation in a semicontinuous photobioreactor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98, 3157–3164 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5322-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5322-y

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