• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.23-28
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• 2019

For successful microalgal biodiesel production, the strain should be selected carefully. Fast growth rate and high fatty acid contents are desired traits for algal biodiesel production. In ocean cultivation of microalgae, seawater temperature slowly changes over seasons, and rotating algal strains in accordance with their optimal temperature could improve overall productivity. Additionally, use of indigenous strain is preferred to alleviate potential impacts on the environment. In this study, five strains of Tetraselmis sp. from nearshore of Youngheung Island, Incheon, Korea, were isolated during winter and characterized for their growth patterns and fatty acid compositions in the low temperatures ($5-15^{\circ}C$). The five strains showed various characteristics in optimal growth temperature, fatty acid contents, and compositions. Compared with a strain of Tetraselmis sp., isolated from Ganghwa island in a previous study, a rapid-growing strain with 237% higher biomass productivity and an oleaginous strain with twice higher fatty acid contents at $10^{\circ}C$ were isolated. The oleaginous Tetraselmis strain showed the highest fatty acid productivity among the strains, having 438% higher productivity than the previous strain. Using the new isolates in the seasons with low seawater temperature would improve microalgal fatty acid productivity in ocean cultivation.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.238-247
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• 2021

Diatoms are a type of microalgae which inhabits a wide variety of environments as one of the most important primary producers of freshwater and marine ecosystems. They have been widely used as bioindicators which represent the environmental characteristics, thus proper quality control of diatom data is very important to ensure for the researches from many scientists from various different regions to have scientific unity and objectivity. At present, diatom data analysis is primarily based both on morphological features and DNA sequences of given species. Challenge for the morphology-based analysis of diatoms is the consistent species identification among different taxonomists who interpret diatom community, while challenge for the molecular analysis of diatoms to secure reliable reference data. In the present study, we have reviewed the current status of data quality control of diatom analysis in Korea as well as the world. Finally, suggestions for the better data quality control for Korean marine diatoms have been also made.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.47-63
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• 2020

This study aimed to investigate the effects of social disaster risk perception levels of Koreans on government trust. To this end, differences in disaster risk perception levels based on social disaster types and the effects of social disaster risk perception levels on government trust were analyzed. In the preliminary survey, three types of social disasters with high risk levels (bird flu, fine dust, and nuclear power plants) were selected. The survey was conducted on 1,109 Korean men and women aged 20 years and older. First, the analysis results demonstrated that social disaster perception levels differed based on social disaster types. Second, the results showed that, in terms of social disasters, proactivity, personal knowledge, familiarity, severity, fear, and risk associated with chances of recovery did not affect government trust. Third, the perception of delayed social disaster risk had a positive effect on government trust. Fourth, scientific knowledge about social disasters, control capabilities, lethality, and risk perception at the onset time had a negative effect on government trust. In conclusion, the implications and limitations of this study were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.66-75
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• 2021

Microalgae are unicellular microorganisms inhabiting various ecosystems of the world, including marine and freshwater systems and extreme environments. Only a few species have been actively used as food. Microalgae are attracting attention as a means of biological CO2 reduction because they play an important role in absorbing atmospheric CO2 through their rapid growth by photosynthesis in water. Besides, microalgae are considered to be an eco-friendly energy source because they can rapidly produce biomass containing a large quantum of lipids that can be converted into biodiesel. Several microalgae, such as Chlorella spp., Spirulina spp. and Haematococcus spp. have already been commercialized as functional health supplements because they contain diverse nutrients including proteins, vitamins, minerals, and functional substances such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), β-glucan, phycocyanin, astaxanthin, etc. Moreover, they have the potential to be used as food materials that can address the protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) which may occur in the future due to population growth. They can be added to various foods in the form of powder or liquid extract for enhancing the quality characteristics of the foods. In this review, we analyzed several microalgae which can be used as food additives and summarized their characteristics and functions that suggest the possibility of a role for microalgae as future food.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제55권2호
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• pp.91-101
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• 2022

In this study, we analyzed the compositional characteristics of Melosira nummuloides mass-cultured using Jeju lava seawater. M. nummuloides showed the highest growth rate when cultured for 14 days at 17-20℃ and 15,000 lx. Proximate composition of raw-material (RM) and freeze-dried M. nummuloides (FM) showed high ash content (65-72%), while ethanol-extracted M. nummuloides (EM) had low ash and high lipid contents. The predominantly occurring mineral, Si, was 334 g/kg in RM and 269 g/kg in FM, but EM contained only 1.97 g/kg. The ratio of essential amino acids was similar in RM (38.93%) and FM (36.89%) lower in EM (17.83%), but branched chain amino acids required for muscle metabolism was high (63.40%). The polyunsaturated fatty acids of EM (34.74%) was 11% more than that in RM (23.81%), and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids was 1:3.6. Furthermore, the concentration of total chlorophyll was higher by 5.15 times (62.32 mg/g) and that of fucoxanthin by 7.06 times (11.02 mg/g) in EM than in RM (12.11, 1.56 mg/g, respectively). The mass cultivation and filtration of M. nummuloides using lava seawater has high prospects of commercialization as a competitive bio silica, cosmetic and healthy functional food material.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.449-457
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• 2021

Photosynthesis and respiration rate of microalgae are important factors during advanced wastewater treatment research using microalgae, There are several equipments and measurement methods for measuring photosynthesis and respiration, with different challenges that occur during pretreatment and stabilization of the analysis process. Therefore, in this study, for accurate Photosynthesis and Respiration (P&R) analyzer measurement, the analysis process was divided into pre-processing, DO stabilization, and analysis stages and each was optimized to enable accurate evaluation. For this purpose, the effect of DO saturation of the sample on P&R analysis, DO stabilization according to the degassing flow rate, and photoinhibition of the OD level on photosynthesis was investigated. Based on our study results, when DO was supersaturated, photosynthetic efficiency decreased due to photorespiration, making it inappropriate as a P&R sample. In addition, 0.5 L-N2/min level was the optimal nitrogen degassing flow rate for DO desaturation. The inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency by self-shading caused by the increase in OD was observed from OD 2.0, and it was found that P& R analysis is preferably performed on samples with OD less than 2.0. In addition, based on the above three optimization results, an optimized P&R Analyzer instruction for accurate P&R analysis was also presented.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.181-193
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• 2023

Distribution changes in microalgae communities were studied in the Nakdonggang River at two sampling stations (St.1 Gyeongcheongyo Bridge (GB) and St.2 Daedong Wharf (DW)) at monthly intervals from January 2021 to November 2021. A total of 83 taxa included 82 species, 1 forma, belonging to 49 genera, 32 families, 21 orders, and 8 classes. The most important groups were Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta. The number of species ranged from 5 to 24 in GB, and from 9 to 21 taxa in DW. The contribution of Bacillariophyta to the total species richness was the highest during all survey periods, and Chlorophyta yielded the next highest value in the study area. The dominant taxa were Aulacoseira ambigua, A. ambigua f. japonica, and Ulnaria acus in this study. Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis based on Bray- Curtis similarity identified 4 major groups, which corresponded to microalgae assemblages and their characteristic species. Correlation was analyzed through the CCA analysis. It was found that there was a correlation between the microalgae and environmental factors. It was revealed that the divided groups were distinguished because of the differences by the survey period. Therefore, seasonal change was judged as a major factor affecting the distribution of microalgae communities.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.282-291
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• 2022

Since the efficiency of wastewater treatment using microalgae differs depending on the metabolic characteristics of the species, it is important to understand the characteristics of target algae prior to the application in wastewater treatment. In this study, for the application of Arthrospira platensis to wastewater treatment, which is a filamentous alkaliphilic cyanobacteria, basic species specificity was identified and the possibility of application to wastewater treatment was investigated. As a result of the species specificity investigation, the specific growth rate between pH 7.0 and 11.0 showed the highest value near pH 9 at 0.25/day. The reason for the relatively low growth(0.08/day) at pH 11 was thought to be the CA(carbonic anhydrase) enzyme that is involved in carbon fixation during photosynthesis has the highest activity at pH 8.0 to 9.0, and at pH 11, CA activity was relatively low. In addition, A. platensis showed optimal growth at 400 PPFD(photosynthetic photon flux density) and 30℃, and this means that cyanobacteria such as A. platensis have a larger number of PS-I(photosystem I) than that of PS-II(photosystem II). It was speculated that it was because higher light intensity and temperature were required to sufficiently generate electrons to transfer to PS-I. Regarding the applicability of A. platensis, it was suggested that if a system using the synergistic effect of co-culture of A. platensis and bacteria was developed, a more efficient system would be possible. And different from single cocci, filamentous A. platensis expected to have a positive impact on harvesting, which is very important in the latter part of the wastewater treatment process.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.27-34
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• 2023

In this study, microalgal oil was extracted from Nannochloropsis oceanica cultured in an open raceway pond and converted into biodiesel using a solid acid catalyst. Microalgal oil was extracted from two types of microalgae with and without nitrogen starvation using the KOH-solvent extraction method and the fatty acid content and oil extraction yield from each microalgae were compared. The fatty acid content of N. oceanica was 184.8 mg/g cell under basic conditions, and the oil content increased to 340.1 mg/g under nitrogen starvation conditions. Oil extraction yields were 90.8 and 95.4% in the first extraction, and increased to 97.5 and 98.8% after the second extraction. Microalgal oil extracted by KOH-solvent extraction was yellow in color and had reduced viscosity due to chlorophyll removal. In biodiesel conversion using the catalyst SO₄^2-/HZSM-5, solvent-extracted oil showed a FAME content of 4.8%, while KOH-solvent-extracted oil showed a FAME content of 90.4%. Solid acid catalyst application has been made easier by removal of chlorophyll from microalgal oil. The FAME content increased to 96.6% upon distillation, and the oxidation stability increased to 11.07 h with addition of rapeseed biodiesel and 1,000 ppm butylated hydroxyanisole.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.36-44
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• 2024

This study attempted to improve the growth of the freshwater microalgae, Parachlorella kessleri, through the sequential optimization of culture conditions. This attempt aimed to enhance the microalgae's ability to fixate atmospheric CO₂. Culture temperature and light intensity appropriate for microalgal growth were scanned using a high-throughput photobioreactor system. The supplied air flow rate varied from 0.05 to 0.3 vvm, and its effect on the growth rate of P. kessleri was determined. Next, sodium phosphate buffer was added to the culture medium (BG11) to enhance CO₂ fixation by increasing the availability of CO₂(HCO₃^-) in the culture medium. The results indicated that optimal culture temperature and light intensity were 20℃-25℃ and 300 μE/m²/s, respectively. Growth rates of P. kessleri under various air flow rates highly depended on the increase of the culture's flow rate and pH which determines CO₂ availability. Adding sodium phosphate buffer to BG11 to maintain a constant neutral pH (7.0) improved microalgal growth compared to control conditions (BG11 without sodium phosphate). These results indicate that the CO₂ fixation rate in the air could be enhanced via the sequential optimization of microalgal culture conditions.