II.A.1.f. Development of a Rapid Screening Procedure for Growth and Lipid Content of Microalgae

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National Renewable Energy Laboratory

An interesting finding from the cold water strain collection project was that many species that

predominate after the enrichment procedure were the same as the warm water species selected in

previous collection efforts. The genera and species that were commonly found in both the cold

water and warm water screening projects were C. muelleri, Amphora coffeiformis, Cyclotella,

Navicula, and Nitzschia. However, some ochromonids and green coccoid algae were also isolated

from the cold water collection effort; these types of alga were less commonly isolated during the

warm-water selection procedures. Additional work would be needed to characterize these strains

with respect to lipid production potential. Future work should look at the fatty acid profiles of oil

found in the cold-water strains. Such cold-water organisms often contain high levels of

polyunsaturated fatty acids, which would perform poorly as a feedstock for biodiesel because of

their low oxidative stability and tendency to polymerize during combustion (Harrington et al.

1986).

Publications:

Johansen, J.R.; Doucette, G.J.; Barclay, W.R.; Bull, J.D. (1988) AThe morphology and ecology

of Pleurochrysis carterae var dentata nov. (Prymnesiophyceae), a new coccolithophorid from an

inland salind pond in New Mexico, USA.@ Phycologica 27:78-88.

Johansen, J.; Lemke, P.; Barclay, W.; Nagle, N. (1987) ACollection, screening, and

characterization of lipid producing microalgae: Progress during Fiscal Year 1987.@ FY 1987

Aquatic Species Program Annual Report; Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, Colorado,

SERI/SP-231-3206, pp. 27-42.

Johansen, J.R.; Theriot, E. (1987) AThe relationship between valve diameter and number of central

fultoportulae in Thalassiosira weissflogii (Bacillariophyceae).@ J. Phycol. 23:663-665.

Tadros, M.G.; Johansen, J.R. (1988) APhysiological characterization of six lipid-producing

diatoms from the southeastern United States.@ J. Phycol. 24:445-452.

Additional References:

Harrington, K.J. (1986) Biomass 9:1-17.

II.A.1.f. Development of a Rapid Screening Procedure for Growth and Lipid Content of Microalgae

By 1987, SERi researchers and subcontractors had collected approximately 3,000 algal strains.

Most had not been well characterized, especially with respect to lipid production capabilities.

As a consequence, work commenced on the development of a simple screening procedure to

estimate the lipid contents of cells to determine which strains had the best potential as biofuel

production organisms. Ideally, the procedure should be simple and reproducible so it could be

used as a standard method in numerous laboratories. The researchers hoped that such a screening

tool would allow the size of the strain collection to be reduced to a manageable number (~200)

representing the most promising strains.

A Look Back at the Aquatic Species Program--Technical Review