Experimental Study of the Quantitative Impact of Flow Turbulence on Algal Growth

Flow turbulence has been widely accepted as one of the essential factors affecting phytoplankton growth. In this study, laboratory cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa in beakers were carried out under different turbulent conditions to identify the quantitative relationship between the algal growth rate and the turbulent intensity. The turbulent intensity (represented by energy dissipation rate, ε) was simulated with the software FLUENT. Daily measurement of the two parameters (algal biomass and chlorophyll-a concentration) was carried out during the experimental period to represent the algal growth rate. Meanwhile, the rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence intensity were calculated to investigate the photosynthetic efficiency. The results indicated that the growth rate of Microcystis aeruginosa became higher in the turbulent environment than in the still water environment under the designed experimental conditions. The peak growth rate of Microcystis aeruginosa occurred when ε was 6.44 × 10−2 m2/s3, over which the rate declined, probably due to unfavorable impacts of strong turbulence. In comparison, the maximum rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution occurred when ε was 0.19 m2/s3. Based on the findings of this study, an exponential function was proposed in order to incorporate the effect of flow turbulence into the existing algal growth models, which usually just consider the impacts of nutrient availability, illumination, and temperature.

Enhancement of Hydrocarbon Productivity of Botryococcus braunii by an Adenine Type Phytohormone

This study examined the effects of an adenine-type cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) on the growth and metabolism characteristics of Botryococcus braunii, one of the most promising oil-rich algae for biofuel production. The results showed that 6-BA of low dose (0.1-1.0 mg L-1) would enhance the algal growth rate and biochemical synthesis, whereas too much (5.0 mg L-1) would be lethally toxic for B. braunii. Noticingly, though the maximum algal growth rate, chlorophyll and β-carotenoid content were observed in the treatment with 0.5 and/or 1.0 mg L-1 6-BA, both the maximum algal hydrocarbon content and the highest hydrocarbon productivity were observed in the treatment with 0.1 mg L-1 6-BA, which were respectively 2.45 and 3.48 times of the control (39.1% vs. 16.0%, 546 mg L-1 vs. 157 mg L-1). This finding has great implications for improving algae biofuels production by phytohormone.

The effect of field-collected biofilms on the toxicity of copper to a marine microalga (Tetraselmis sp.) in laboratory bioassays

Standard algal growth rate inhibition bioassays can lack environmental realism and may over- or underestimate metal bioavailability in natural systems. In aquatic environments, algal species interact with other biota, including other algae, bacteria and biofilms. In this work, the feasibility of incorporating marine biofilms into 72 h algal growth inhibition toxicity tests was explored. The effects of copper on Tetraselmis sp. were tested in the absence and presence of characterised field-collected biofilms. We hypothesised that the addition of biofilm would prevent copper toxicity to the alga primarily through interactions of the metal with other cells and biofilm exudates. The sensitivity of Tetraselmis sp. to copper (based on 72 h IC50 values; the copper concentration to inhibit population growth by 50%) in the presence of a blended biofilm inoculum varied 2-fold and was independent of the amount of biofilm added. However, increases in IC10 and IC20 values indicated some amelioration of copper toxicity. When intact biofilms were added to the bioassays, amelioration of toxicity was more consistent, probably due to increased binding of copper to cell surfaces or exudates. Difficulties in characterising biofilms and distinguishing that material from the test alga need to be overcome before biofilms can be routinely incorporated into laboratory bioassays.