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Author Spotlight: Scaling Microalgal Biotechnology for Enhanced Biomethane Production
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High throughput screening of CO2-tolerating microalgae using GasPak bags
Zheng Liu, Fan Zhang, Feng Chen1
1Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 701 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. chenf@umces.edu.
Aquatic Biosystems
|December 18, 2013
Summary
Researchers developed a high-throughput screening method to quickly identify microalgae strains capable of thriving in high carbon dioxide (CO2) conditions. This method successfully identified CO2-tolerant microalgae, including Scenedesmus strains, for potential use in carbon capture technologies.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Microalgae exhibit significant diversity in species and function, with over 35,000 described strains available in culture collections.
- Algal CO2 uptake capabilities vary widely, posing a challenge for selecting species suitable for high CO2 environments.
- Identifying microalgae that can proliferate under elevated CO2 concentrations is crucial for carbon capture applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and present a high-throughput screening method for rapidly identifying microalgae with high CO2 affinity.
- To efficiently screen large collections of microalgal cultures for CO2 tolerance.
- To facilitate the selection of microalgal strains for carbon capture and utilization.
Main Methods:
- A high-throughput screening system was developed, integrating a CO2 mixer, GasPak bags, and microplates.
- Microalgae were cultivated in microplates within GasPak bags subjected to varying CO2 concentrations.
- The system enabled rapid assessment of algal growth under different CO2 levels.
Main Results:
- The screening method successfully identified 17 microalgal strains whose growth was unaffected by CO2 increase from 2% to 20%.
- Predominantly, CO2-tolerant strains belonged to the genera Scenedesmus and Chlorococcum.
- A selected Scenedesmus strain (E7A) demonstrated successful performance in 500 L photobioreactors using flue gas with 10-12% CO2.
Conclusions:
- The developed high-throughput system offers a rapid and reliable approach for identifying microalgal strains tolerant to high CO2 conditions from extensive culture collections.
- This method can be adapted to screen for microalgal tolerance to other gases like NOx, SOx, or flue gas components.
- The findings support the use of microalgae in industrial applications for CO2 mitigation and gas tolerance screening.
