Isolation and Characterization of Novel Chlorella Species with Cold Resistance and High Lipid Accumulation for Biodiesel Production

• Published in: Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 952 - 961
• Main Authors: Koh, Hyun Gi, Kang, Nam Kyu, Kim, Eun Kyung, Suh, William I, Park, Won-Kun, Lee, Bongsoo, Chang, Yong Keun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 한국미생물생명공학회 30.06.2019
• Subjects: biofuel; Chlorella; cold tolerance; green algae; phylogeny; phylogeny; Chlorella; green algae; cold tolerance; biofuel
• ISSN: 1017-7825; 1738-8872

Chlorella spp. are green algae that are found across wide-ranging habitats from deserts to arctic regions, with various strains having adapted to survive under diverse environmental conditions. In this study, two novel Chlorella strains (ABC-002, ABC-008) were isolated from a freshwater lake in South Korea during the winter season and examined for possible use in the biofuel production process. The comparison of ABC-002 and ABC-008 strains with Chlorella vulgaris UTEX265 under two different temperatures (10 ℃, 25 ℃) revealed their cold-tolerant phenotypes as well as high biomass yields. The maximum quantum yields of UTEX25, ABC- 002, and ABC-008 at 10 ℃ were 0.5594, 0.6747, and 0.7150, respectively, providing evidence of the relatively higher cold-resistance capabilities of these two strains. Furthermore, both the biomass yields and lipid content of the two novel strains were found to be higher than those of UTEX265; the overall lipid productivities of ABC-002 and ABC-008 were 1.7 ~ 2.8 fold and 1.6 ~ 4.2 fold higher compared to that of UTEX265, respectively. Thus, the high biomass and lipid productivity over a wide range of temperatures indicate that C. vulgaris ABC-002 and ABC-008 are promising candidates for applications in biofuel productions via outdoor biomass cultivation.