International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences |
ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 7 (2013) pp. 233-239 |
Nutrient feeding strategy determines the fate of Microalgal growth and
carbon metabolizing enzyme system - A study with
Desmodesmus commuis LUCC 002 |
Swaminathan Palanisami1, Keesoo Lee1* and Paul Ki-souk Nam2 |
1Center for Bioenergy, Cooperative Research, Lincoln University in Missouri,
Jefferson City, MO 65101, United States.
2Department of Chemistry, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla,
MO 65409, United States.
*Corresponding author e-mail: keesoo@lincolnu.edu |
A B S T R A C T |
The increasing applications of microalgae have led researchers worldwide to
investigate a reliable, cost effective, and fast means of biomass production. In this
study commercial, agricultural fertilizer was used for algal nutrients as an approach
for reducing the production cost of biomass. To optimize biomass production, two
different strategies of nutrient feeding were tested: [#1] supplying all of the
nutrients required for the entire growth phase in one initial feeding; [#2] feeding
the optimal quantity of nutrients at a regular interval as it was consumed by the
algae. Between the two tested strategies the second method was found to be ideal
in achieving maximum biomass while also enhancing the activity of the carbon
metabolizing enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA). Both of the systems, fed with
different strategies, received equal amounts of nutrients. The results clearly show
that the feeding strategy is the only responsible factor for inducing the carbon
metabolizing system. Esterase isozyme profiling was studied to understand the
stress response exerted by the organism while growing in the different conditions
created by the feeding strategies. It was clear that the first feeding method stressed
the Desmodesmus commuis LUCC 002, this was evident from the stunted growth
comparing to the second method. |
Keywords |
Carbonic
anhydrase;
Microalgal
growth;
Desmodesmu
s commuis;
Biomass;
Zinc;
Copper. |