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Growth of Dunaliella tertiolecta and associated bacteria in photobioreactors

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test three flat-plate photobioreactor configurations for cultivation of marine green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta under non-axenic growth conditions and to characterize and quantify the associated bacteria. The photobioreactor cultivations were conducted using tap water-based media. Static mixers intended to enhance mixing and light utilization did not generally increase algal growth at the low light intensities used. The maximum biomass concentration (measured as volatile suspended solids) and maximum specific growth rate achieved in the flat plate with no mixer were 2.9 g l−1 and 1.3 day−1, respectively. Based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction, bacterial growth followed the growth of D. tertiolecta. Based on 16S rDNA amplification and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiling, heterotrophic bacteria in the D. tertiolecta cultures mainly originated from the non-axenic algal inocula, and tap water heterotrophs were not enriched in high chloride media (3 % salinity). Bacterial communities were relatively stable and reproducible in all flat-plate cultivations and were dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Pertti Vuoriranta for his input to the reactor designs. This study was funded by Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Finland Distinguished Professor Programme, 402/06).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 541, 33101, Tampere, Finland

    Aino-Maija Lakaniemi, Veera M. Intihar, Olli H. Tuovinen & Jaakko A. Puhakka

  2. Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Olli H. Tuovinen

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  1. Aino-Maija Lakaniemi
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  2. Veera M. Intihar
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  3. Olli H. Tuovinen
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  4. Jaakko A. Puhakka
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Correspondence to Aino-Maija Lakaniemi.

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Lakaniemi, AM., Intihar, V.M., Tuovinen, O.H. et al. Growth of Dunaliella tertiolecta and associated bacteria in photobioreactors. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 39, 1357–1365 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-012-1133-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-012-1133-x

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