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Author |
Hulatt, C.J.; Thomas, D.N. |

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Title |
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in microalgal photobioreactors: a potential loss in solar energy conversion? |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Bioresource Technology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Bioresour Technol |
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Volume  |
101 |
Issue |
22 |
Pages |
8690-8697 |
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Keywords |
Bioreactors/*microbiology; Chlorella vulgaris/*physiology; Culture Media/chemistry; *Electric Power Supplies; Energy Transfer; Organic Chemicals/*chemistry/*metabolism; Photochemistry/*instrumentation; Solubility |
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Abstract |
Microalgae are considered to be a potential alternative to terrestrial crops for bio-energy production due to their relatively high productivity per unit area of land. In this work we examined the amount of dissolved organic matter exuded by algal cells cultured in photobioreactors, to examine whether a significant fraction of the photoassimilated biomass could potentially be lost from the harvestable biomass. We found that the mean maximum amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released measured 6.4% and 17.3% of the total organic carbon in cultures of Chlorellavulgaris and Dunaliella tertiolecta, respectively. This DOM in turn supported a significant growth of bacterial biomass, representing a further loss of the algal assimilated carbon. The release of these levels of DOC indicates that a significant fraction of the photosynthetically fixed organic matter could be lost into the surrounding water, suggesting that the actual biomass yield per hectare for industrial purposes could be somewhat less than expected. A simple and inexpensive optical technique, based on chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) measurements, to monitor such losses in commercial PBRs is discussed. |
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School of Ocean Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, UK. osp418@bangor.ac.uk |
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0960-8524 |
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PMID:20634058 |
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12981 |
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Author |
Hulatt, C.J.; Thomas, D.N. |

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Title |
Productivity, carbon dioxide uptake and net energy return of microalgal bubble column photobioreactors |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
Bioresource Technology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Bioresour Technol |
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Volume  |
102 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
5775-5787 |
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*Bioreactors; Carbon Dioxide/*metabolism; Energy Metabolism; Equipment Design; Microalgae/growth & development/*metabolism; Photochemistry |
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Abstract |
This work examined the energy return of Chlorella vulgaris and Dunaliella tertiolecta cultivated in a gas-sparged photobioreactor design where the power input for sparging was manipulated (10, 20, and 50 Wm(-3)). Dry weight, organic carbon and heating values of the biomass were measured, plus a suite of variables including Fv/Fm and dissolved oxygen. A model for predicting the higher heating value of microalgal biomass was developed and used to measure the energetic performance of batch cultivations. High power inputs enhanced maximum biomass yields, but did not improve the energy return. Cultivation in 10 Wm(-3) showed up to a 39% higher cumulative net energy return than 50 Wm(-3), and increased the cumulative net energy ratio up to fourfold. The highest net energy ratio for power input was 19.3 (D. tertiolecta, 12% CO(2), 10 Wm(-3)). These systems may be a sustainable method of biomass production, but their effectiveness is sensitive to operational parameters. |
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School of Ocean Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Askew Street, Menai Bridge, Isle of Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK. osp418@bangor.ac.uk |
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0960-8524 |
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PMID:21376576 |
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12983 |
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Hulatt, C.J.; Thomas, D.N. |

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Title |
Energy efficiency of an outdoor microalgal photobioreactor sited at mid-temperate latitude |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
Bioresource Technology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Bioresour Technol |
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102 |
Issue |
12 |
Pages |
6687-6695 |
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Biomass; *Bioreactors; Climate; Geography; Microalgae/growth & development/*metabolism; Oxygen/metabolism; Scenedesmus/growth & development/*metabolism; Seasons; Solar Energy |
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This work examined the energetic performance of a 6-month semi-continuous cultivation of Scenedesmus obliquus in an outdoor photobioreactor at mid-temperate latitude, without temperature control. By measuring the seasonal biomass production (mean 11.31, range 1.39-23.67 g m(-2)d(-1)), higher heating value (22.94 kJ g(-1)) and solar irradiance, the mean seasonally-averaged photosynthetic efficiency (2.18%) and gross energy productivity (0.27 MJ m(-2) d(-1)) was calculated. When comparing the solar energy conversion efficiency to the energy investment for culture circulation, significant improvements in reactor energy input must be made to make the system viable. Using the data collected to model the energetic performance of a substitute photobioreactor design, we conclude that sustainable photobioreactor cultivation of microalgae in similar temperate climates requires a short light path and low power input, only reasonably obtained by flat-panel systems. However, temperature control was not necessary for effective long-term cultivation. |
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School of Ocean Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Askew Street, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK. osp418@bangor.ac.uk |
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0960-8524 |
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PMID:21511466 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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12984 |
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Underwood, G.J.C.; Aslam, S.N.; Michel, C.; Niemi, A.; Norman, L.; Meiners, K.M.; Laybourn-Parry, J.; Paterson, H.; Thomas, D.N. |

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Title |
Broad-scale predictability of carbohydrates and exopolymers in Antarctic and Arctic sea ice |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2013 |
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A |
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110 |
Issue |
39 |
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15734-15739 |
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Antarctic Regions; Arctic Regions; Biopolymers/*analysis; Carbohydrates/*analysis; Ice Cover/*chemistry; Models, Chemical; Molecular Weight; Solubility; algae; biogeochemistry; global relationships; microbial |
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Sea ice can contain high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), much of which is carbohydrate-rich extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by microalgae and bacteria inhabiting the ice. Here we report the concentrations of dissolved carbohydrates (dCHO) and dissolved EPS (dEPS) in relation to algal standing stock [estimated by chlorophyll (Chl) a concentrations] in sea ice from six locations in the Southern and Arctic Oceans. Concentrations varied substantially within and between sampling sites, reflecting local ice conditions and biological content. However, combining all data revealed robust statistical relationships between dCHO concentrations and the concentrations of different dEPS fractions, Chl a, and DOC. These relationships were true for whole ice cores, bottom ice (biomass rich) sections, and colder surface ice. The distribution of dEPS was strongly correlated to algal biomass, with the highest concentrations of both dEPS and non-EPS carbohydrates in the bottom horizons of the ice. Complex EPS was more prevalent in colder surface sea ice horizons. Predictive models (validated against independent data) were derived to enable the estimation of dCHO concentrations from data on ice thickness, salinity, and vertical position in core. When Chl a data were included a higher level of prediction was obtained. The consistent patterns reflected in these relationships provide a strong basis for including estimates of regional and seasonal carbohydrate and dEPS carbon budgets in coupled physical-biogeochemical models, across different types of sea ice from both polar regions. |
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School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom |
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National Academy of Sciences |
Place of Publication |
Washington, DC |
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English |
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English |
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0027-8424 |
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PMID:24019487; PMCID:PMC3785782 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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17491 |
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Author |
Lakaniemi, A.-M.; Hulatt, C.J.; Wakeman, K.D.; Thomas, D.N.; Puhakka, J.A. |

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Title |
Eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbial communities during microalgal biomass production |
Type |
Journal Article |
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Year |
2012 |
Publication |
Bioresource Technology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Bioresour Technol |
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Volume  |
124 |
Issue |
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Pages |
387-393 |
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Bacteria/classification/genetics/metabolism; *Biomass; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Eukaryotic Cells; Microalgae/*metabolism; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prokaryotic Cells |
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Eukaryotic and bacterial communities were characterized and quantified in microalgal photobioreactor cultures of freshwater Chlorella vulgaris and marine Dunaliella tertiolecta. The microalgae exhibited good growth, whilst both cultures contained diverse bacterial communities. Both cultures included Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, while C. vulgaris cultures also contained Actinobacteria. The bacterial genera present in the cultures were different due to different growth medium salinities and possibly different extracellular products. Bacterial community profiles were relatively stable in D. tertiolecta cultures but not in C. vulgaris cultures likely due to presence of ciliates (Colpoda sp.) in the latter. The presence of ciliates did not, however, cause decrease in total number of C. vulgaris or bacteria during 14 days of cultivation. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) reliably showed relative microalgal and bacterial cell numbers in the batch cultures with stable microbial communities, but was not effective when bacterial communities varied. Raw culture samples were successfully used as qPCR templates. |
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Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland. aino-maija.lakaniemi@tut.fi |
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0960-8524 |
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PMID:22995170 |
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Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
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12987 |
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