Australian Strains of Botryococcus braunii Examined for Potential Hydrocarbon and Carotenoid Pigment Production and the Effect of Brackish Water

Kim Jye Lee-Chang, Elisabeth Albinsson, Lesley Clementson, Andrew T. Revill, Ian Jameson and Susan I. Blackburn
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Kim Jye Lee-Chang: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
Elisabeth Albinsson: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
Lesley Clementson: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
Andrew T. Revill: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
Ian Jameson: Australian National Algae Culture Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
Susan I. Blackburn: Australian National Algae Culture Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: The green alga Botryococcus braunii produces abundant hydrocarbons, in the form of drop-in biodiesel, which promoted interest in the species as a renewable fuel. However, despite the observation of dense populations in the wild, Botryococcus grows very slowly in culture, severely limiting its potential for development as a bioresource. Undertaking a biodiscovery program, we found new strains of Botryococcus in locations ranging from tropical to temperate Australia and from both fresh and brackish waters. As part of the ecophysiological characterisation of this new biodiversity, lipid and pigment compositions were studied for six new strains from six different locations. The strains were inoculated in either freshwater or brackish (salinity of 4)-based medium and maintained over 150 days. The growth of cultures was studied continuously, while lipid and pigment composition were analysed at final harvest on day 150. No significant differences in growth rate between fresh and brackish media were observed. Some strains were more tolerable of brackish conditions than others with a link between salinity tolerance and original location. The use of lower salinity (4 ppt) had a minimal effect on lipid composition, with only two of the six strains showing a different hydrocarbon profile in comparison to the other strains; pigment composition showed only minor variations for fresh and brackish water cultures, although the concentrations varied significantly with the freshwater cultures containing higher pigment concentrations.

Keywords: biofuel; Botryococcus braunii; hydrocarbon; pigment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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