Methods to Increase Biomass Productivity

University of Georgia Research Foundation
posted on 07/12/2010

Algae offer the most feasible biofuel option as this has been thoroughly assessed by many research groups. However, the available technology is marred with the high cost of production and also the fear of competition for scarce resources such as water, light, and N- and P- fertilizers. Further, energy investment to produce algal biomass (per mass unit) also needs to be lowered down so as to make it cost effective. The investments are still high for harvesting algae suspended in water.
One approach to circumvent the cost issue is the increase the productivity of microalgae per unit of area of the growth reservoir /racetrack. However, very little has been accomplished to date, through the use of inexpensive growth stimulants in the presence of readily available nutrients and currently commercial open pond systems produce 20g/m2/day with biomass concentrations of 0.1g/m2/day, this translating into ca. 30t/acre/year of biomass. Thus, increasing the productivity of biomass to 60t/acre/year or higher will have a great positive impact in the cost and profitability of biofuels produced from microalgae.

Suggested Uses

High-volume algal growth and harvest, for the production of bio-oils, esters and commodity chemicals and biochemicals, as well as nutritional supplements and animal feed

Advantages

Inexpensive and comprised of readily available compounds

Used in ppm quantities

Compatible with any species of microalgae (Chlorella, Anabaena, Spirulina, etc.)

Not likely to demand regulatory review by government agencies

Non-optimized results show more than double increase in the productivity of biomass and
carbohydrates

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

Dr. Das group at UGA has developed a protocol based on the use of a combination of up to 10 micronutrients that are, each, directed at a specific biochemical aspect of growth and reproduction of microalgae. These extremely inexpensive micronutrients are combined in ratios ranging from parts-per-billion to parts-per-thousand, in such a manner that only a few kilograms of these nutrients are needed per acre/year. Non-optimized results indicated that production of biomass was increased by up to 138% (i.e., more than twice in a mass-based comparison) in comparison to control. This was also followed by increase in chlorophyll A and B production and total carbohydrate, the latter increasing by 90% over control. Furthermore, the experiments led to the conclusion that 4 of the original 10 micronutrients are responsible for most of the growth stimulation, leading to yet less expensive methods for increasing pond productivity.
(Patent Pending)

Limitations

Composition of stimulant mixture needs to be optmized in function of the species of the microalgae. Scale up experiments also need to be performed.

File Number: 1504

IP Protection

License Online

This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Gennaro Gama at University of Georgia Research Foundation for more information.

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