Abstract
An outdoor tubular photobioreactor, based on an external-loop airlift, has been used to cultivate the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX 640, rich in icosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The system was operated in batch mode. The specific growth rate in the exponential phase, averaged over the whole day, was 0.254 day−1 · A 25 gl−1 maximum biomass concentration was obtained by the end of the culture period. The dissolved oxygen generated never rose over 210% of air saturation nor was there impediment to biomass generation or inhibition of photosynthesis. Furthermore, around 2 × 1017 quanta cm−2 s−1 light intensity seemed to saturate the photosynthetic activity. Biomass losses during the night could be reduced to less than 5% by maintaining the culture at 16°C at night. The maximum concentration and productivity of EPA were 423 mgl−1 and 13 mgl−1 day−1, respectively, at the end of the culture, although a 21-mgl−1 day−1 net EPA generation rate was obtained at the linear growth phase.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bajpai P, Bajpai PK (1993) Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production from microorganisms: a review. J. Biotechnol 30: 161–183
Cohen Z, Vonshak A, Boussiba S, Richmond A (1988) The effect of temperature and cell concentration on the fatty acid composition of outdoor culture of Porphyridium cruentum. In: Stadler T, Mollion J, Verdus MC, Karamanos Y, Morvan H, Christiaen D (eds) Algal biotechnology. Elsevier, London, pp 421–428
Gudin C, Chaumont D (1991) Cell fragility — the key problem of microalgae mass production in closed photobioreactors. Bioresource Technol 38:145–151
Lee YK (1986) Enclosed bioreactors for the mass cultivation of photosynthetic microorganisms: the future trend. Trends Biotechnol 4(7):186–189
Lee YK (1993) Biological limitation in the productivity of outdoor microalgal cultures. In: Masojídek J, Šetlik I, Šetlik I (eds), Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Applied Algology. Process in biotechnology of photoautotrophic microorganisms. Cěske Budîjovice, Czech Republic, p 2
Lee YK, Low CS (1992) Productivity of outdoor algal cultures in enclosed tubular photobioreactor. Biotechnol Bioeng 40:1119–1122
Lee YK, Low CS (1993) Productivity of outdoor algal cultures in unstable weather conditions. Biotechnol Bioeng 41:1003–1006
Lepage G, Roy C (1984) Improved recovery of fatty acid through direct transesterification without prior extraction or purification. J Lipid Res 25:1391–1396
Mann JE, Myers J (1968) On pigments, growth, and photosynthesis of Phaeodactylum tricornutum. J Gen Microbiol 4:349–355
Molina Grima E, Martínez ME, Sánchez S, García F, Contreras A (1991) Growth and biochemical composition with emphasis on the fatty acids of Tetraselmis sp. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 36:21–25
Molina Grima E, Sánchez Pérez JA, García Sánchez JL, García Camacho F, López Alonso D (1992) EPA from Isochrysis galbana. Growth conditions and productivity. Process Biochem 27:299–305
Molina Grima E, Sánchez Pérez JA, García Sánchez JL, López Alonso D (1993) n-3 PUFA productivity in chemostat cultures of microalgae. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 38:599–605
Molina Grima E, García Camacho F, Sánchez Pérez JA, Contreras Gómez A, Valdés Sanz F (1994) Outdoor turbidostat culture of the marine microalga Tetraselmis sp. Aquacult Fish Manage 25:547–555.
Pirt SJ, Lee YK, Walach MR, Pirt MW, Balyzi HHM, Bazin M (1983) A tubular bioreactor for photosynthetic production of biomass from carbon dioxide: design and performance. J Chem Tech Biotechnol 33:25–58
Pulz O (1993) Semiclosed tubular-plate systems for the cultivation of microalgae aimed to health food and pharmaceutical use. In: Masojídek J, Šetlik I (eds) Proceedings of 6th International Conference on Applied Algology. Process in biotechnology of photoautotrophic microorganisms. Cêske Budîjovice, Czech Republic, p 39
Richmond A (1990) Large scale microalgal culture and applications. Prog Phycol Res 7:269–330
Richmond A, Boussiba S, Vonshak A, Kopel R (1993) A new tubular reactor for mass production of microalgae outdoors. J Appl Phycol 5:327–332
Torzillo G, Sacchi A, Materassi R (1991) Temperature as an important factor affecting productivity and night biomass loss in Spirulina platensis grown outdoors in tubular photobioreactors. Biores Technol 38:95–100
Tredeci MR, Materassi R (1992) From open ponds to vertical alveolar panels: the Italian experience in the development of reactors for the mass cultivation of phototrophic microorganisms. J Appl Phycol 4:221–231
Veloso V, Reis A, Gouveia L, Fernandes HL, Empis JA, Novais JM (1991) Lipid production by Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Bioresource Technol 38:115–120
Weissman JC, Goebel RP, Benemann JR (1988) Photobioreactor design: mixing, carbon utilization, and oxygen accumulation. Biotechnol Bioeng 31:336–344
Yongmanitchai W, Ward OP (1991) Growth of and omega-3 fatty acid production by Phaeodactylum tricornutum under different culture conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:419–425
Yongmanitchai W, Ward OP (1992) Growth and icosepentaenoic acid production by Phaeodactylum tricornutum in batch and continuous culture systems. J Am Oil Chem Soc 69:584–590
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Molina Grima, E., Sánchez Pérez, J.A., García Camacho, F. et al. Biomass and icosapentaenoic acid productivities from an outdoor batch culture of Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX 640 in an airlift tubular photobioreactor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 42, 658–663 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00171940
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00171940