Bioprospecting and selection of tolerant strains and productive analyses of microalgae grown in vinasse

In order to contribute to the biotechnology of microalgae cultivated in vinasse, we carried out the bioprospection of tolerant species and synthesized biomolecules of the total biomass (microalgae and bacteria), recovered from cultures. To use vinasse as a culture medium for the microalgae, waste was centrifuged and used in concentrations from 5 to 50%. Daily cell densities, growth rates, and EC50 values were obtained. After defining the best pair of vinasse concentration/microalgae strain, dry biomass, and composition (proteins and carbohydrates) were determined in 96 h cultures, considering the associated community (bacteria and yeast). The microalgae tested were Chlamydomonas sp., Chlorella sorokiniana, Chlorella vulgaris, Desmodesmus spinosus, Haematococcus pluvialis, Monoraphidium sp., Scenedesmus quadricauda, and Tetraselmis gracilis. The results showed that although the microalgal growth rates in vinasse were similar to controls in BG11, the cells in vinasse had higher biovolumes, dry biomass, and total proteins. The species H. pluvialis, S. quadricauda, and T. gracilis showed the best productivity parameters in vinasse, despite lower growth rates than the other species. Using low concentrations of centrifuged vinasse as a culture medium, only 22% of biological contaminants were present, thus most of the processed biomass was mainly composed of microalgae. Thus, Chlamydomonas sp., D. spinosus, S. quadricauda, and H. pluvialis microalgae have attributes such as resistance and biomolecules that make them candidates for further optimization in production systems, combining the environmental benefits of using waste with the production of biomolecules and/or biomass of commercial interest.