Mixotrophic cultivation of chlorella sorokiniana

• Main Author: Tan, Roxanne Luo Shan.
• Other Authors: Wang Jing-Yuan
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44918
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Alternative energies have been developed amid concerns over the viability of fossil fuels, the world’s traditional source of energy; and its associated environmental impacts. These alternative energies are part of a global strategy to improve nations’ energy security, and alleviate carbon dioxide (CO2) energy-related emissions. Among the various alternative energies, biomass energy or bioenergy and in particular, energy in the form of liquid or gas derived from microalgae fits the criteria of a sustainable and renewable resource.Compared with other bioenergy derived from food crops (e.g. sugarcane) or non-food agricultural residues (e.g. corn stover, bagasse), microalgae cultivation requires less water than terrestrial plants; do not compromise with food production as it can be grown on non-arable land and organic or brackish waters; and have higher photosynthetic efficiencies and growth rates. It is known that through photosynthesis in plants, light energy is used to build macromolecules such as starch by utilizing inorganic carbon (e.g. CO2) for cell growth; while respiration releases chemical energy via oxidation of these macromolecules for cell division; microalgal cells gain and accumulate biomass.