Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry

Christensen, Earl; Sudasinghe, Nilusha; Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj; Sebag, Robert; Schaub, Tanner; Laurens, Lieve M.  L.

doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01205

Title: Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry

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Abstract

Cultivation of microalgae has the potential to provide lipid-derived feedstocks for conversion to liquid transportation fuels. Lipid extracts from microalgae are significantly more complex than those of traditional seed oils, and their composition changes significantly throughout the microalgal growth period. With three acyl side chains per molecule, triglycerides (TAGs) are an important fuel precursor, and the distribution of acyl chain composition for TAGs has a significant impact on fuel properties and processing. Therefore, determination of the distribution of microalgal TAG production is needed to assess the value of algal extracts designed for fuel production and to optimize strain, cultivation, and harvesting practices. Methods utilized for TAG speciation commonly involve complicated and time-consuming chromatographic techniques. Here we present a method for TAG speciation and quantification based on direct-infusion mass spectrometry, which provides rapid characterization of TAG profiles without chromatographic separation. Specifically, we utilize Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) to provide a reference library of TAGs for the microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. that provides the basis for high-throughput TAG quantitation by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). In conclusion, we demonstrate the application of this novel approach for lipid characterization with respect to TAG compound distribution, which informs both immediatemore »« less

Authors:

Christensen, Earl ^[1]; Sudasinghe, Nilusha ^[2]; Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj ^[2]; Sebag, Robert ^[1]; Schaub, Tanner ^[2]; Laurens, Lieve M. L. ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1225939

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5400-64361
Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Energy and Fuels

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 29; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 09 BIOMASS FUELS; algae; mass spectrometry; triglycerides; biodiesel; renewable diesel

Citation Formats


                    Christensen, Earl, Sudasinghe, Nilusha, Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj, Sebag, Robert, Schaub, Tanner, and Laurens, Lieve M.  L. Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01205.

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                    Christensen, Earl, Sudasinghe, Nilusha, Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj, Sebag, Robert, Schaub, Tanner, & Laurens, Lieve M.  L. Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01205

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                    Christensen, Earl, Sudasinghe, Nilusha, Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj, Sebag, Robert, Schaub, Tanner, and Laurens, Lieve M.  L. Tue .  
"Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01205.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1225939.

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@article{osti_1225939,

  title        = {Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry},

  author       = {Christensen, Earl and Sudasinghe, Nilusha and Dandamudi, Kodanda Phani Raj and Sebag, Robert and Schaub, Tanner and Laurens, Lieve M.  L.},

  abstractNote = {Cultivation of microalgae has the potential to provide lipid-derived feedstocks for conversion to liquid transportation fuels. Lipid extracts from microalgae are significantly more complex than those of traditional seed oils, and their composition changes significantly throughout the microalgal growth period. With three acyl side chains per molecule, triglycerides (TAGs) are an important fuel precursor, and the distribution of acyl chain composition for TAGs has a significant impact on fuel properties and processing. Therefore, determination of the distribution of microalgal TAG production is needed to assess the value of algal extracts designed for fuel production and to optimize strain, cultivation, and harvesting practices. Methods utilized for TAG speciation commonly involve complicated and time-consuming chromatographic techniques. Here we present a method for TAG speciation and quantification based on direct-infusion mass spectrometry, which provides rapid characterization of TAG profiles without chromatographic separation. Specifically, we utilize Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) to provide a reference library of TAGs for the microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. that provides the basis for high-throughput TAG quantitation by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). In conclusion, we demonstrate the application of this novel approach for lipid characterization with respect to TAG compound distribution, which informs both immediate and future strain and process optimization strategies.},

  doi          = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01205},

  journal      = {Energy and Fuels},

  number       = 10,

  volume       = 29,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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