Manipulation of light wavelength at appropriate growth stage to enhance biomass productivity and fatty acid methyl ester yield using Chlorella vulgaris

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 159; pp. 240 - 248
• Main Authors: Kim, Dae Geun, Lee, Changsu, Park, Seung-Moon, Choi, Yoon-E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biodiesel; Biofuel production; Biofuels - microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biotechnology; Cell Size - radiation effects; Chlorella vulgaris; Chlorella vulgaris - cytology; Chlorella vulgaris - growth & development; Chlorella vulgaris - radiation effects; Chlorophyll - metabolism; Cultivation; Energy; Esters - metabolism; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; LED; Light; Light sources; Light-emitting diodes; Microalgal cultivation; Models, Biological; Productivity; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Wavelength shift; Wavelengths; LED; Biodiesel; Chlorella vulgaris; Microalgal cultivation; Wavelength shift; Productivity; Algae; Biomass; Chlorophyceae; Wavelength; Chlorophyta; Manipulation; Yield; Developmental stage; Alga; Microorganism; Fatty acid methyl ester; Culture
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.02.078

•LEDs are suitable light source of microalgal cultivations.•Blue light LED illumination led to significantly increased cell size.•Red light LED illumination led to small-sized cell with active divisions.•Innovative process with wavelength shift increased biomass and FAME. LEDs light offer several advantages over the conventional lamps, thereby being considered as the optimal light sources for microalgal cultivation. In this study, various light-emitting diodes (LEDs) especially red and blue color with different light wavelengths were employed to explore the effects of light source on phototrophic cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris. Blue light illumination led to significantly increased cell size, whereas red light resulted in small-sized cell with active divisions. Based on the discovery of the effect of light wavelengths on microalgal biology, we then applied appropriate wavelength at different growth stages; blue light was illuminated first and then shifted to red light. By doing so, biomass and lipid productivity of C. vulgaris could be significantly increased, compared to that in the control. These results will shed light on a novel approach using LED light for microalgal biotechnology.