Search

Sugar refinery washing water (SRWW) contains abundant levels of carbon sources and lower levels of contaminants than other types of wastewater, which makes it ideal for heterotrophic cultivation of microalgae. Here, carbon sources in SRWW were utilized for conversion into the form of value-added docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) using Aurantiochytrium sp. KRS101. Since SRWW is not a defined medium, serial optimizations were performed to maximize the biomass, lipid, and DHA yields by adjusting the nutrient (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) concentrations as well as the application of salt stress. Optimum growth performance was achieved with 30% dilution of SRWW containing a total organic carbon of 95,488 mg L−1. Increasing the nutrient level in the medium by supplementation of 9 g L−1 KH2PO4 and 20 g L−1 yeast extract further improved the biomass yield by an additional 14%, albeit at the expense of a decrease in the lipid content. Maximum biomass, lipid, and DHA yields (22.9, 6.33, and 2.03 g L−1, respectively) were achieved when 35 g L−1 sea salt was applied on a stationary phase for osmotic stress. These results demonstrate the potential of carbon-rich sugar refinery washing water for DHA production using Aurantiochytrium sp. KRS101 and proper cultivation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterotrophic cultivation of microalgae has a number of notable advantages, which include allowing high culture density levels as well as enabling the production of biomass in consistent and predictable quantities. In this study, the full potential of Chlorella sp. HS2 is explored through optimization of the parameters for its heterotrophic cultivation. First, carbon and nitrogen sources were screened in PhotobioBox. Initial screening using the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was then adopted and the concentrations of the major nutrients (glucose, sodium nitrate, and dipotassium phosphate) were optimized via response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD). Upon validation of the model via flask-scale cultivation, the optimized BG11 medium was found to result in a three-fold improvement in biomass amounts, from 5.85 to 18.13 g/L, in comparison to a non-optimized BG11 medium containing 72 g/L glucose. Scaling up the cultivation to a 5-L fermenter resulted in a greatly improved biomass concentration of 35.3 g/L owing to more efficient oxygenation of the culture. In addition, phosphorus feeding fermentation was employed in an effort to address early depletion of phosphate, and a maximum biomass concentration of 42.95 g/L was achieved, with biomass productivity of 5.37 g/L/D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological studies of microalgae have revealed their potential to co-exist in the natural environment. It provides an evidence of the symbiotic relationship of microalgae with other microorganisms. The symbiosis potential of microalgae is inherited with distinct advantages, providing a venue for their scale-up applications. The deployment of large-scale microalgae applications is limited due to the technical challenges such as slow growth rate, low metabolites yield, and high risk of biomass contamination by unwanted bacteria. However, these challenges can be overcome by exploring symbiotic potential of microalgae. In a symbiotic system, photosynthetic microalgae co-exist with bacteria, fungi, as well as heterotrophic microalgae. In this consortium, they can exchange nutrients and metabolites, transfer gene, and interact with each other through complex metabolic mechanism. Microalgae in this system, termed as a binary culture, are reported to exhibit high growth rate, enhanced bio-flocculation, and biochemical productivity without experiencing contamination. Binary culture also offers interesting applications in other biotechnological processes including bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and production of high-value metabolites. The focus of the study is to provide a perspective to enhance the understanding about microalgae binary culture. In this review, the mechanism of binary culture, its potential, and limitations are briefly discussed. A number of queries are evolved through this study, which needs to be answered by executing future research to assess the real potential of binary culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains tolerant to salt stress are important for the production of single-cell protein using kimchi waste brine. In this study, two strains (TN-1 and TN-2) tolerant of up to 10 % (w/v) NaCl were isolated by screening a transposon-mediated mutant library. The determination of transposon insertion sites and Northern blot analysis identified two genes, MDJ1 and VPS74, and revealed disruptions of the open reading frame of both genes, indicating that salt tolerance can be conferred. Such tolerant phenotypes reverted to sensitive phenotypes on the autologous or overexpression of each gene. The two transposon mutants grew faster than the control strain when cultured at 30 °C in rich medium containing 5, 7.5 or 10 % NaCl. The genes identified in this study may provide a basis for application in developing industrial yeast strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass cultivation of microalgae is necessary to achieve economically feasible production of microalgal biodiesel, but the high cost of nutrients is a major limitation. In this study, orange peel extract (OPE) was used as an inorganic and organic nutrient source for the cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris OW-01. Chemical composition analysis of the OPE indicated that it contains sufficient nutrients for mixotrophic cultivation of C. vulgaris OW-01. Analysis of biomass and FAME production showed that microalgae grown in OPE medium produced 3.4-times more biomass and 4.5-times more fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) than cells cultured in glucose-supplemented BG 11 medium (BG-G). These results suggest that growth of microalgae in an OPE-supplemented medium increases lipid production and that OPE has potential for use in the mass cultivation of microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address issues related to climate crises, microalgae-based biofuels are considered a promising option for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector. However, despite extensive research conducted over the past 20 years, there are major limitations in the application of conventional algal biodiesel, such as the instability of oxygen-containing fuel, blending wall limitations (less than 20%), and poor cost competitiveness. Recently, biomass-based renewable hydrocarbon fuels (drop-in biofuels) have been considered technologically competitive alternatives to petrofuels owing to the advantages of carbon dioxide reduction, high energy density, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. This review discusses the integrative utilization of whole algal biomass for the development of an advanced algal biorefinery process that could strategically help produce drop-in biofuels and multiple by-products to meet the growing fuel demand and secure economic feasibility. This review provides an updated overview of recent technical advancements in the (1) mass cultivation of oleaginous algal biomass obtained from industrial wastes, (2) production of renewable biodiesel and bio-jet fuel using algal lipids via catalytic upgrading, and (3) diversification of bio-products generated from residual lipid-extracted biomass, such as hydrogen, methane, alcohols, bio-oils, organic acids, biosorbents, biomaterials, and nutrients. The challenges and prospects for practical application are discussed along with the major constraints on the commercialization of integrative algal biorefining. [Display omitted] • Integrative utilization of whole biomass is required for economic algal biorefining. • Mass cultivation of lipid-rich algal biomass using CO 2 -rich flue gas and wastewater. • Catalytic upgrading of renewable diesel and bio-jet fuel from algal neutral lipids. • Diversification of products from lipid-extracted biomass via subsequent conversions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Social changes on a global scale have challenged the nascent algal industry. • Drop-in fuel would be a new major target of algal lipid-based products. • Enhancing CO 2 fixing efficiency would be a major goal in outdoor cultivation. • An integrated refinery process is required for feasible whole cell utilization. Microalgae have been studied and tested for over 70 years. However, biodiesel, the prime target of the algal industry, has suffered from low competitiveness and current steps toward banning the internal combustion engine all over the world. Meanwhile, interest in reducing CO 2 emissions has grown as the world has witnessed disasters caused by global warming. In this situation, in order to maximize the benefits of the microalgal industry and surmount current limitations, new breakthroughs are being sought. First, drop-in fuel, mandatory for the aviation and maritime industries, has been discussed as a new product. Second, methods to secure stable and feasible outdoor cultivation focusing on CO 2 sequestration were investigated. Lastly, the need for an integrated refinery process to simultaneously produce multiple products has been discussed. While the merits of microalgae industry remain valid, further investigations into these new frontiers would put algal industry at the core of future bio-based economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High-cost downstream process is a major bottleneck for producing microalgal biodiesel at reasonable price. Conventional lipid extraction process necessitates biomass drying process, which requires substantial amount of energy. In this regard, lipid extraction from wet biomass must be an attractive solution. However, it is almost impossible to recover lipid directly from wet microalgae with current technology. In this study, we conceived osmotic shock treatment as a novel method to extract lipid efficiently. Osmotic shock treatment was applied directly to wet Chlamydomonas reinhardtii biomass with water content >99%, along with both polar and non-polar organic solvents. Our results demonstrated that osmotic shock could increase lipid recovery approximately 2 times. We also investigated whether the presence of cell wall or different cell stages could have any impact on lipid recovery. Cell wall-less mutant stains and senescent cell phase could display significantly increased lipid recovery. Taken together, our results suggested that osmotic shock is a promising technique for wet lipid extraction from microalgal biomass and successfully determined that specific manipulation of biomass in certain cell phase could enhance lipid recovery further. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We describe a facile and simple one-pot synthesis of water-soluble amino-organoclay under ambient conditions. The clay was used to successfully remove environmentally toxic anionic metals, such as arsenate, chromate, and ferricyanide. The electrostatic interactions between the anionic metals and the protonated amino (ammonium) groups of the amino-organoclay resulted in rapid precipitation, within 3min, with a high removal capacity. The maximum removal capacities (in units of mg metal per g organoclay) of the amino-organoclay clay toward HAsO4 2−, CrO4 2−, or Fe(CN)6 3− were, 30.73mg/g, 34.67mg/g, or 218.88mg/g in case of 0.02g, 0.03g, and 0.005g of the amino-organoclay, respectively. The removal efficiencies of 0.07g, 0.09g, and 0.03g of the amino-organoclay whose dosage of clay was at the highest removal efficiency (%) for arsenate, chromate, and ferricyanide, respectively, presented 59.79%, 89.54%, and 97.43%. Furthermore, humic acid that ubiquitous in the organic matter present in water or soil environments, inhibited the removal rate of anionic metals, and thus the removal efficiencies toward all anionic metals were markedly reduced. Humic acid preferentially precipitated with the interaction of amino-organoclay prior to the anionic metals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Given that vanadium is a valuable material, the implementation of vanadium recycling processes is thus necessary to enhance the element's value chain as well as minimize its undesirable environmental consequences. Among various remediation methods available, a biological method based on microalgal adsorption is known to be eco-friendly and calls for further investigations. Herein, we evaluated V2O5 adsorption efficiencies of four different microalgal strains: Nannochloropsis oculata, Heterocapsa circularisquama, Chattonella marina, and Chattonella antiqua. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) data indicated that vanadium concentration in the culture medium of Nannochloropsis oculata was reduced from 4.61 ± 0.11 mg L−1 to 1.85 ± 0.21 mg L−1 after being exposed to V2O5 solution for 24 h, whereas the supernatants of the other three strains displayed no change in vanadium ion concentration. Therefore, our results indicated a strong potential of Nannochloropsis oculata for recycling vanadium with approximately 59.9% of vanadium ion removal efficiency. Furthermore, morphological observation of Nannochloropsis oculata using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the cells were able to maintain their intact morphology even under the presence of high concentrations of heavy metals. Due to the high adsorption efficiency and robustness of Nannochloropsis oculata, the results collectively support it as a potential strain for V2O5 recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superior carbon fixation rate of microalgae compared to terrestrial biomass offers a significant opportunity to build a reliable carbon supply chain for carbon source. Extremophilic microalgae, Galdieria sulphuraria (G. sulphuraria), is further underscored by its exceptional adaptability to harsh environments such as wastewater. This study proposed a strategy to efficiently utilize carbon in G. sulphuraria and to valorise metallic industrial waste, particularly red mud (RM), through co-pyrolysis. To improve the eco-friendliness, CO 2 was used as a reactive gas medium in pyrolysis system. Use of CO 2 in single-stage pyrolysis of G. sulphuraria leads to the enhanced formation of CO through gas-phase reactions (GPRs) of it with volatile matter (VM). Specifically, CO 2 partially oxidize VM while reduce into CO. From single-stage co-pyrolysis of G. sulphuraria with RM, RM accelerated the reaction kinetics for GPRs between CO 2 and VM, leading to the increased formation of syngas from 27.5 to 37.6 mmol compared to N 2 environment. From multi-stage co-pyrolysis, an additional heat source (700 °C) facilitated the GPRs induced by CO 2 , increasing evolution syngas from 37.6 to 73.8 mmol compared to single-stage co-pyrolysis under CO 2 environment. RM‑carbon composites (RMCs) from co-pyrolysis of G. sulphuraria with RM under N 2 /CO 2 environments was utilized as a catalyst in thermally induced transesterification. Both RMCs exhibited superior performance over commercial silica. In specific, both RMCs resulted in higher biodiesel yields of >95.0 wt% at 300 °C, compared to commercial silica (biodiesel yield of 16.6 wt% at corresponding reaction temperature). Such performance of RMCs in thermally induced transesterification could be improved by the modification of their surface properties but its related study was not conducted in this stage. A series of experimental findings propose that co-pyrolysis of G. sulphuraria and RM creates opportunities to maximise syngas production and fabricate red mud‑carbon composites to enhance biodiesel conversion efficiency. [Display omitted] • Tolerance to harsh conditions makes Galdieria sulphuraria a reliable carbon source. • Co-pyrolysis of microalgae and red mud waste produces iron-carbon composite. • CO 2 -assisted pyrolysis improves CO formation, promoting syngas production. • Iron-carbon composite catalyzes in thermally induced transesterification reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgal cultivation has been limited by the efficiency and costs associated with providing light energy, the most expensive and essential element needed for microalgal growth to a culture, particularly to cultures grown in a photo bioreactor (PBR). This study examined the economic benefits of using flashing illumination conditions in the context of microalgal cultivation. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was cultivated under various conditions, including various inoculum sizes, light intensities, and durations of the light and dark periods. Our results showed that the highest microalgal growth efficiencies could be obtained using a large inoculum size under high intensity illumination accompanied by a 1:1 ratio of light and dark periods. The duration of the flashing light period was further optimized; permitting light energy savings of 62.5% of the light energy expended under continuous illumination conditions without reducing the biomass or lipid productivity. This study provides a more economical approach to cultivating C. reinhardtii via optimized flashing illumination without sacrificing microalgal growth or lipid content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Algal-biomass-derived (R)-GVL production with perfect enantiomeric excess (>99.99) • LA was obtained from G. verrucosa through acidic hydrothermal conversion. • Chemoenzymatic reaction converted LA to (R)-GVL via 4-HV. • Residual algal biomass was used to prepare anode for LiB via simple heat treatment. • The results can construct to viable zero-waste biorefinery and circular bioeconomy. Mankind is facing a severe climate crisis caused by fossil fuel-derived CO 2 emissions. Although biorefineries utilizing biomass have been considered the best option for carbon-neutrality, most biorefinery-derived products have not yet been promising for economic feasibility; various strategies have been developed to increase economic competitiveness, and zero-waste biorefineries are challenging options. Herein, we aim to develop an algal biomass-based zero-waste biorefinery for producing enantioselective (R)-γ-valerolactone ((R)-GVL) and carbonaceous electrodes applicable for Li-ion batteries (LiBs). Various algal biomasses were hydrothermally oxidized to produce levulinic acid (LA) as an intermediate for producing (R)-GVL, resulting that Gracilaria verrucosa was selected as feedstock. For the hydroxylation of G. verrucosa -derived LA to 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (4-HV), 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH) was explored through genome mining and further engineered. The engineered HBDH successfully converted G. verrucosa -derived LA to 4-HV, which was subsequently lactonized under acidic conditions, resulting in optically pure (R)-GVL. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the production of an algal biomass-derived enantioselective (R)-GVL with a perfect enantiomeric excess (>99.99 %) that can be used as a precursor for more valuable biopharmaceuticals and bioplastics than biofuels. Furthermore, residual G. verrucosa after hydrothermal oxidation was used as a carbonaceous anode material for LIBs for the first time; hard carbon anodes, which were prepared through simple heat treatment (800 ℃, 3 h, argon atmosphere), exhibit good capacities of 231, 191, 133, 108, 97 and 86 mAh/g at 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 A/g, respectively. The results discussed herein can provide insights into zero-waste biorefineries applicable for diverse industrial fields (e.g., biopolymer, biopharmaceutical and energy storage) and contribute to the construction of closed-carbon-loops for coping with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chlorella sp. ABC-001 showed the best growth and lipid yield with flue gas 10% CO 2. • Chlorella sp. ABC-001 was unaffected by NO but SO 2 severely inhibited cell growth. • Galdieria sulphuraria was adopted to remove SO 2 and enhance CO 2 and NO removal. • SO 2 removal is attributed to ionic interactions as well as assimilation by cells. • The dual-strain system showed stable growth under simulated flue gas supply. This study aims to propose a biological system that allows for direct utilization of flue gas for carbon dioxide capture and utilization by microalgae. The strain Chlorella sp. ABC-001 is employed for its high growth rate as well as lipid and carbohydrate content. Toxicity tests showed that cell growth was unaffected by NO, but the presence of SO 2 showed critical damage on cell growth. Hence, an extremophile alga, Galdieria sulphuraria 5587.1 was applied to build a dual-strain cultivation system to mitigate the effect of SO 2 toxicity and increase CO 2 capture efficiency. All SO 2 was removed by Galdieria culture and the system exhibited stable growth from a simulated flue gas stream containing CO 2 , NO and SO 2. Combined CO 2 biofixation rate of 793 mg/L/d and lipid productivity of 113 mg/L/d was achieved. The results showed that this new cultivation system is a promising alternative for reducing CO 2 emissions from power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Whole-cell biomass utilization was completed with newly integrated biorefinery. • Hydrolysis yielded 89 % of total carbohydrate within 4 min using optimized process. • Volume reduction decreased solvent usage by 75 % and recovered all oil within 20 min. • Bioethanol yield of sole hydrolysate was comparable with conventional YPD medium. • Newly developed process decreased OPEX and CAPEX by 82.7 % and 70.1 %, respectively. Microalgae are a promising source of biomass for the production of biofuels, but their use is currently infeasible because of changes in the biofuel market and the lack of an optimized refinery process. The biomass of oleaginous microalgae consists of up to 50% lipids and 50% carbohydrates and proteins, so the biorefinery process must be able to use whole cell biomass. In this work, an alternative process to the standard biorefinery approach of lipid extraction and treatment of lipid-extracted residue was developed and tested using oleaginous Chlorella sp. ABC-001. First, a hydrolysis process was optimized to achieve cell lysis. At 170 °C and 0.1 N H 2 SO 4 , 89.0% of total carbohydrates were hydrolyzed to monosaccharides within 4 min. Then, a volume reduction process (brief and mild centrifugation) was applied to reduce the extraction time and the use of organic solvent. By reducing the aqueous phase from the hydrolysate, all lipids were extracted by vortexing with just a quarter of the original volume (10 mL) within 20 min. Finally, after extraction the aqueous phase was utilized as the sole growth medium for ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae KL17. The resulting ethanol yield was 0.39 g ethanol/g sugar, comparable to that achieved using conventional yeast-peptone-dextrose (YPD) medium (0.41 g ethanol/g sugar). Furthermore, relative to the conventional process, techno-economic analysis confirmed that the newly developed process decreased operational expenditures by 82.7% and decreased capital expenditures by 70.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study informs harmful chemicals generation from polyurethane waste into the environment and suggests sustainable disposal platform with waste valorization. [Display omitted] • Automotive seat form (ASF) was upgraded into value-added products through pyrolysis. • Ni catalyst converted harmful aromatic chemicals into syngas. • CO 2 synergistically contributed to harmful chemical conversion into syngas. • CO 2 also contributed to extended catalyst stability in catalytic pyrolysis of ASF. In automotive industry, plastic consumption has substantially increased due to its affordability, durability, and lightness. However, the massive generation of plastic wastes from the automotive industry becomes a growing environmental concern. Current disposal methods of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are incineration and landfilling, but these methods generate toxic chemicals and leachate into the environment. To propose more sustainable disposal platform for ELVs, this study used a pyrolysis process using CO 2 as a reaction medium. As a case study, automotive seat form (ASF) in ELVs was disposed and valorized through the CO 2 -assisted pyrolysis. ASF, composed of polyurethane, generated harmful aromatic compounds during pyrolysis process such as benzene, aniline and their derivatives. To convert harmful chemicals into value-added syngas (H 2 and CO), catalytic pyrolysis of ASF was performed using a nickel catalyst. Effects of both CO 2 and nickel catalyst showed 89.9 wt% reduction of toxic chemical production by converting them into syngas, as comparing to pyrolysis without Ni catalyst. Gas-phase-reaction between CO 2 and pyrogenic products from ASF resulted in more than 200 times of CO production. Also, CO 2 suppressed catalyst deactivation. Therefore, this study suggested that CO 2 and plastic waste from ELVs can be converted to value-added products through CO 2 -assisted catalytic pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae accumulate abundant lipids and are a promising source for biodiesel. However, carbohydrates account for 40% of microalgal biomass, an important consideration when using them for the economically feasible production of biodiesel. In this study, different acid hydrolysis and post-treatment processing of Chlorella sp. ABC-001 was performed, and the effect of these different hydrolysates on bioethanol yield by Saccharomyces cerevisiae KL17 was evaluated. For hydrolysis using H2SO4, the neutralization using Ca(OH)2 led to a higher yield (0.43 g ethanol/g sugars) than NaOH (0.27 g ethanol/g sugars). Application of electrodialysis to the H2SO4 + NaOH hydrolysate increased the yield to 0.35 g ethanol/g sugars, and K+ supplementation further enhanced the yield to 0.41 g ethanol/g sugars. Hydrolysis using HNO3 led to the generation of reactive species. Neutralization using only NaOH yielded 0.02 g ethanol/g sugars, and electrodialysis provided only a slight enhancement (0.06 g ethanol/g sugars). However, lowering the levels of reactive species further increased the yield to 0.25 g ethanol/g sugars, and K+ supplementation increased the yield to 0.35 g ethanol/g sugars. Overall, hydrolysis using H2SO4 + Ca(OH)2 provided the highest ethanol yield, and the yield was almost same as from conventional medium. This research emphasizes the importance of post-treatment processing that is modified for the species or strains used for bioethanol fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]