Achieving pH control in microalgal cultures through fed-batch addition of stoichiometrically-balanced growth media.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lack of accounting for proton uptake and secretion has confounded interpretation of the stoichiometry of photosynthetic growth of algae. This is also problematic for achieving growth of microalgae to high cell concentrations which is necessary to improve productivity and the economic feasibility of commercial-scale chemical production systems. Since microalgae are capable of consuming both nitrate and ammonium, this represents an opportunity to balance culture pH based on a nitrogen feeding strategy that does not utilize gas-phase CO₂ buffering. Stoichiometry suggests that approximately 36 weight%NH₄⁺ (balance nitrogen as NO₃⁻) would minimize the proton imbalance and permit high-density photoautotrophic growth as it does in higher plant tissue culture. However, algal med

SUBMITTER: Scherholz ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3751429 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature