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Updated: May 10, 2026

Cultivation of Green Microalgae in Bubble Column Photobioreactors and an Assay for Neutral Lipids

Cultivation of Green Microalgae in Bubble Column Photobioreactors and an Assay for Neutral Lipids

Published on: January 7, 2019

Biofuels from microalgae: photoconversion efficiency during lipid accumulation.

Robert Dillschneider¹, Christian Steinweg, Rosa Rosello-Sastre

¹Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany. Robert.Dillschneider@kit.edu

Bioresource Technology

|June 20, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Nitrogen limitation in Phaeodactylum tricornutum cultures impacts lipid accumulation and light absorption. Increasing nitrogen availability enhanced photoconversion efficiency (PCE) by over twofold in batch experiments.

Keywords:

Biodiesel Lipid synthesis PCE for lipid accumulation Photoconversion efficiency (PCE)Product formation kinetics

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Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Algal Biotechnology
Microalgae Cultivation

Background:

Oleaginous microalgae accumulate storage lipids under nutrient limitation.
Nitrate concentration affects Phaeodactylum tricornutum productivity and light absorption.
Storage molecule accumulation exhibits saturation kinetics at high light intensities.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of varying nitrate concentrations on Phaeodactylum tricornutum productivity.
To analyze the relationship between nitrogen availability, light absorption, and lipid accumulation.
To measure photoconversion efficiency (PCE) under different nutrient conditions.

Main Methods:

Batch cultivation of Phaeodactylum tricornutum with varied nitrate levels.
Measurement of light absorption characteristics of algal cultures.
Quantification of storage lipid accumulation and biomass enthalpy of combustion.
Calculation of photoconversion efficiency (PCE) based on energy balance.

Main Results:

Volumetric productivities varied with nitrate concentration due to differences in light absorption.
Storage lipid accumulation showed saturation at high photon flux densities.
Photoconversion efficiency (PCE) increased from 2.48% to a maximum of 5.65% with increased nitrogen availability.

Conclusions:

Nitrogen availability is a critical factor regulating lipid accumulation and PCE in Phaeodactylum tricornutum.
Optimizing nitrogen levels can significantly enhance the efficiency of microalgal lipid production.
Understanding light-nutrient interactions is key for maximizing microalgal biomass and energy conversion.