Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

First Advisor

Michael Persans

Second Advisor

Hudson DeYoe

Third Advisor

Bradley Christoffersen

Abstract

As global energy demands have risen in the past decades, various species of microalgae have been chosen and used as sources of lipids for third-generation biofuel. I selected two species of green microalgae, Bracteacoccus sp. and Tetrastrum sp., from isolates from South Texas to determine their potential as sources of biofuel. For comparison, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was used as a model organism. To evaluate lipid productivity under different nutrient regimens, the microalgae were grown in nutrient-replete growth media until the population had reached the end of the logarithmic phase (roughly 14 days), and then transferred into growth media depleted of nitrogen or phosphorus and allowing the algae to grow for seven more days. Throughout the experiment, algal samples were evaluated roughly every seven days for cell density, total lipid productivity, and triacylglycerol (TAG) content. The four sampling points corresponded to the following points in the growth cycle: mid-logarithmic stage, end-logarithmic stage, early saturation, and late saturation. To evaluate total lipid content, lipids were extracted from samples and weighed. Via thin-layer chromatography, the extracts were analyzed by using the image analysis software, ImageJ, to determine relative TAG content. The nutrient-depletion regimen proved to significantly increase TAG content after treatment and resulted in an overall lipid production in C. reinhardtii, Bracteacoccus sp., and Tetrastrum sp., but produced significantly better results than C. reinhardtii.

Comments

Copyright 2024 Cassandra Po.

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/utrgv.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/pqdtglobal1/dissertations-theses/effects-nitrogen-phosphorus-depletion-on-lipid/docview/3085314802/sem-2?accountid=7119

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