Lipids from High-Protein Algae Biomass
Biofuels from renewable and sustainable sources will be a critical component of reducing greenhouse gasses. To this end, in achieving maximum biomass productivity in outdoor ponds at a reasonable cost, algae must be grown at a maximal rate. This current algae cultivation strategy results in high-protein biomass because there is insufficient time for deplete-hold steps that increase lipids but also cost. Thus methods to convert high-protein (>50%) need to be developed for biofuels. The Consolidated Algae Processing (CAP) strategy has previously shown utility on high-carbohydrate algae biomass and has now been expanded to include methods aimed at converting the protein fraction to lipids. After acid-pretreatment, hydrolysate liquor is oxidatively treated to deaminate and convert soluble proteins and amino acids into four main carboxylate acids; formic, acetic, succinic, and propionic. These acids are readily and completely fermented into intracellular lipids using oleaginous yeast. Using a fed-batch fermentation strategy and no added nutrients, we achieved nearly 30% intracellular lipids and 1.3 g/L lipids demonstrating the potential of our expanded CAP process to generate additional lipids for conversion to biofuels as part of an algae-focused biorefinery.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1994501
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/PO-2700-85700; MainId:86473; UUID:535d96b4-5707-4fd3-a389-9823c0a4f337; MainAdminID:70151
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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