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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Coupling Carbon Capture from a Power Plant with Semi-automated Open Raceway Ponds for Microalgae Cultivation
Published on: August 14, 2020
A diazotroph-lettuce symbiosis platform based on a carbon dot-microalgal hybrid system
Zhenxi Xie1, Guiling Zeng1, Mingtao Zheng1
1Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, P. R. China. tleibf@scau.edu.cn.
Abstract:
A diazotroph-plant symbiosis model system has been developed, but the nitrogen-fixation efficiency of the engineered system remains suboptimal compared with those of their wild-type counterparts. In this study, carbon dots (CDs) with benzoquinone and phenazine structures, prepared from o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) and catechol (CAT), were selected as an electron donor and an electron relay to construct a CD/microalgal hybrid nitrogen-fixation system. The photocurrent response confirmed the photoelectron-donor capability of the CDs. Nostoc commune Vauch was chosen as the diazotroph. The hybrid system produced 1.32-fold more ethylene than pure microalgae. When integrated with a lettuce hydroponic platform, the system enabled lettuce to utilize atmospheric nitrogen as an ammonia fertilizer. The net photosynthetic rate, total fresh weight, total chlorophyll content, and total soluble protein content of lettuce grown in the established platform increased by 1.20-, 1.12-, 1.14-, and 1.32-fold, respectively, contributing to the sustainable development of agriculture.
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