Strategies for enhancing lipid production from indigenous microalgae isolates

• Lipid-producing ability of 5 microalgal strains isolated in Taiwan were examined.
• Chlamydomonas sp. Tai-03 achieved higher oil productivity of 124.08 mg/L/d.
• Three major factors affecting lipid accumulation in Tai-03 strain were investigated.
• The lipids of Tai-03 contain mainly 16:0 and 18:1 FAs, thus suitable for biodiesel.

Microalgae are widely regarded as the most promising source of green and sustainable fuel for the future. Compared to biofuels from terrestrial crops, the benefits of microalgal biofuels include high lipid content, rapid growth rate, high productivity per unit land area, and the ability to utilize wastewater for growth. In this study, five indigenous microalgae from Taiwan were selected to determine their potential for lipid production, namely Chlamydomonas sp. Tai-01, Tai-03 and Pin-01, as well as Scenedesmus sp. ESP-05 and ESP-07. Tai-03 proved to be the best strain, achieving an oil content and oil productivity of 28.6% and 124.1 mg/L/d, respectively. This was attained by inoculating 0.12 g/L Tai-03 into BG-11 medium with 25% initial nitrate concentration and LED light intensity of 200 µmol/m2/s. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained from the Tai-03 strain consisted mainly of palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid, making this microalga a suitable feedstock for biodiesel synthesis.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide