Abstract
High cultivation cost and low lipid yield are framed as a major bottleneck for the production of microalgae biodiesel. Hence, we first and foremost highlight a trophic mode transition, coupled with a combinatorial effect of organic carbon, nitrogen and light (C/N/L) on an isolated microalga Chlorococcum sp. SVF in a one pot tri-phasic intermittent feeding system by developing a lab scale Raceway tank (40L). Hitherto, waste molasses syrup without hydrolysis is unexplored in algal bioenergy arena. The direct utilisation capability of sucrose, served by waste unhydrolysed molasses syrup (WUMS), effectively modulates the intrinsic biochemical and physiological characteristics towards microalgae biomass and lipid assimilation. Response surface methodology—central composite design (RSM-CCD) tool has been employed to observe the cumulative impact of light irradiation and nutrient sources (carbon and nitrogen) on cellular stoichiometric analysis. Experimental results exhibit a potentially achievable biomass (18.88 g L−1) and lipid accumulation (80.34%) under the light intensity of 75.5 µmol m−2 s−1 with stepwise light attenuation strategy. Characterisation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) reveals the dominance of oleic acid (32.72%) and palmitic acid methyl esters (32.49%) in mixotrophic condition, which are considered as the upmost indicators of quality biodiesel. The biofuel properties were obtained in acquiescence with American and European standard. These findings are therefore a way forward towards the effective growth of Chlorococcum sp. SVF in sucrose rich inexpensive industrial waste stream that positively influences the lipid yield for large scale sustainable biodiesel production.
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Acknowledgements
Author MPR express their gratitude to Mission Innovation Unit, Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi (INDIA) for financial support [file no.BT/PR31218/PBD/26/771/2019]. They are grateful to Bajaj Hindustan Sugar Limited for the supply of waste molasses syrup. Authors MPR, AK and SV acknowledged to Amity Institute of Biotechnology for providing research facilities and Amity Institute of Microbial Technology for confocal analysis. Authors are also grateful to Prof. Rajiv Prakash, School of Material Science and Technology, IIT-BHU for providing SEM facility and AIRF, JNU, New Delhi for providing GC-MS service.
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Khanra, A., Vasistha, S., Kumar, S. et al. Cultivation of microalgae on unhydrolysed waste molasses syrup using mass cultivation strategy for improved biodiesel. 3 Biotech 11, 287 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-021-02823-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-021-02823-7