Enhanced biomass production and lipid accumulation of Picochlorum atomus using light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

The effects of light-emitting diode (LED) wavelength, light intensity, nitrate concentration, and time of exposure to different LED wavelength stresses in a two-phase culture on lipid production were evaluated in the microalga, Picochlorum atomus . The biomass produced by red LED light was higher than that produced by purple, blue, green, or yellow LED and fluorescent lights from first phase of two-phase culture. The highest lipid production of P. atomus was 50.3% (w/w) with green LED light at 2 days of second phase as light stress. Fatty acid analysis of the microalgae showed that palmitic acid (C16:0) and linolenic acid (C18:3) accounted for 84–88% (w/w) of total fatty acids from P. atomus . The two-phase culture of P. atomus is suitable for biofuel production due to higher lipid productivity and favorable fatty acid composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]