• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.23 no.2 s.58
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• pp.135-140
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• 2005

In order to construct an artificial cultivation of Nostoc flagelliforme on solid medium, we attempted to assess the viability of approaches, which utilized either BG-11 agar or sand medium using both sterile and non-sterile algal segments. In the trial in which the BG -11 agar medium was inoculated with the non-sterile algal segments, the algae exhibited the rapid growth in the initial 4 days of cultivation. However, after 4 days of cultivation, the growth rate of the algae slowed, and the algal growth was completely stopped by 7 days of cultivation. When the BG -11 medium was inoculated with the sterile algal segments, the algae exhibited the rapid growth for a longer period of 8 days, reaching a length of 24.9 mm. The growth rate during this period was measured to be $24.5\%$. After the 8 days of cultivation, the algal growth rate began to slow and had almost stopped by the 13 days of cultivation. On the other hand, when the sterile algal segments were inoculated onto a sand plate, the algal segments decomposed, reaching total decomposition after 11 days of cultivation. By way of contrast, the desiccation treatment samples continued to grow for 14 days of cultivation. After 14 days of cultivation, the algae achieved a length of 26.1 mm, with a growth rate of $30.6\%$. Our results indicate that periodic desiccation may constitute an effective strategy for the prevention of algal decomposition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 1993

In 12:12 hour light/dark cycle cultivation of D. salina 1650, maximum specific growth rate of 0.59 (l/day) and 0.35 (g-crude hydrocarbons/l/day) were obtained. The cell growth was inhibited at above 15$\times$$10^{-4} (kcal/cm^2/h)$ of light intensity in an outdoor cultivation. It was also showed that temperature is one of the critical growth parameters in the outdoor cultivation. The hydrocarbon production from D. salina 1650 seems to be partially growth related production process, and these algal hydrocarbons can be used for subsituting petroleum directly or through cracking processes. The value of weight fraction carbon of D. salina 1650 was similar to that of Botryococcus braunii and so was the hydrocarbon productivity.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

The occurrence of 'algal bloom', caused by the mass proliferation of phytoplankton, causes serious problems in streams and lakes in Korea. Therefore, in this study, the phytoplankton filter-feeding trait of Unio douglasiae, a type of freshwater clam, was used to reduce the algal bloom in outdoor water tanks during the summer. This involved the construction of a U. douglasiae cultivation apparatus, wherein 1,000 clams were divided into 8 rectangular baskets arranged in the shape of an empty square. The control tank was manufactured in exactly the same shape within the water tank, but without the addition of clams. The algal bloom-reducing effect of U. douglasiae was confirmed by the measurement of (and comparing between) the water quality at the center and periphery of the test and control cultivation apparatus. Water quality measurements included the measurement of water temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO) content, and chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ concentrations; the water quality was measured twice a month between June and November 2014.The results of these analyses did not show a significant difference in water quality (temperature, pH, turbidity, DO) between the center and periphery of the test and control tanks. However, the chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ concentration was observed to be much lower at the center of the test tank compared to that at the center and periphery of the control tank, as well as at the periphery of the test tank. This was believed to be a result of the U. douglasiae surrounding the center of the test tank, which prevented the influx of plankton from the periphery. Accordingly, the results of these analyses suggest the possibility that U. douglasiae cultivation could reduce the proliferation of algal blooms in lakes and streams during the summer. In particular, these results indicate possible improvements in U. douglasiae activity (reduction in algal blooms) by their effective arrangement in the water bodies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1566-1573
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• 2014

Although most algae cultivation systems are operated in suspended culture, an attached growth system can offer several advantages over suspended systems. Algal cultivation becomes light-limited as the microalgal concentration increases in the suspended system; on the other hand, sunlight penetrates deeper and stronger in attached systems owing to the more transparent water. Such higher availability of sunlight makes it possible to operate a raceway pond deeper than usual, resulting in a higher areal productivity. The attached system achieved 2.8-times higher biomass productivity and total lipid productivity of $9.1g\;m^{-2}day^{-1}$ and $1.9g\;m^{-2}day^{-1}$, respectively, than the suspended system. Biomass productivity can be further increased by optimization of the culture conditions. Moreover, algal biomass harvesting and dewatering were made simpler and cheaper in attached systems, because mesh-type substrates with attached microalgae were easily removed from the culture and the remaining treated wastewater could be discharged directly. When the algal biomass was dewatered using natural sunlight, the palmitic acid (C16:0) content increased by 16% compared with the freeze-drying method. There was no great difference in other fatty acid composition. Therefore, the attached system for algal cultivation is a promising cultivation system for mass biodiesel production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.630-637
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• 2018

The high rate algal ponds (HRAP) powered and mixed by a paddlewheel have been widely used for over 50 years to culture microalgae for the production of various products. Since light incidence is limited to the surface, water depth can affect microalgal growth in HRAP. To investigate the effect of water depth on microalgal growth, a mixed microalgal culture constituting three major strains of microalgae including Chlorella sp., Scenedesmus sp., and Stigeoclonium sp. (CSS), was grown at different water depths (20, 30, and 40 cm) in the HRAP, respectively. The HRAP with 20cm of water depth had about 38% higher biomass productivity per unit area ($6.16{\pm}0.33g{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) and required lower nutrients and energy consumption than the other water depths. Specifically, the algal biomass of HRAP under 20cm of water depth had higher settleability through larger floc size (83.6% settleability within 5 min). These results indicate that water depth can affect the harvesting process as well as cultivation of microalgae. Therefore, we conclude that water depth is an important parameter in HRAP design for mass cultivation of microalgae.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.447-454
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• 2018

Although flotation techniques are often used for the removal of algal particles, the practicality of algae-harvesting technologies is limited owing to the complex and expensive facilities and equipment required for chemical coagulation. Here, we examined the feasibility of an approach to separating algal particles from water bodies without the need for chemical coagulants, depending on the condition of the algae, and to determine the optimal conditions. Using Anabaena sp., a cyanobacterium causes algal blooms in lakes, we stimulated auto-flocculation in algal particles without coagulants and conducted solid-liquid separation experiments of algal particles under various conditions. The six cultivation columns included in our analysis comprised four factors: Water temperature, light intensity, nutrients, and carbon source; auto-flocculation was induced under all treatments, with the exception of the treatment involving no limits to all factors, and algal particles were well-settled under all conditions for which auto-flocculation occurred. Meanwhile, flotation removal of auto-flocculated algal particles was attained only when nutrients were blocked after algae were grown in an optimal medium. However, no significant differences were detected between the functional groups of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of floated and settled algal particles in the FT-IR peak, which can cause attachment by collision with micro-bubbles.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.267-273
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• 2000

In order to understand the impact for decomposition of blue-green algae Microcystis on water quality, the algae were cultivated with collection of natural population during approximately one month, when water-bloom of Microcystis dominated at August 31, 1999 in the lower part of the Okchon Stream. The enrichment of inorganic NㆍP nutrients didn't in algal assay and the effect of Microcystis on water duality was assessed from the variation of nutrients by algal senescence. Microcystis population seemed to play a temporary role of sink for nutrients in the water body. Initial algal density of Microcystis was 2.3×10/sup 6/ cells/㎖. When Microcystis population died out under light condition, algal NㆍP nutrients between 9∼12 days affected to increase of biomass after reuse by other algal growth as soon as release to the ambient water. However, cellular nutrients under dark condition were almost moved into the water during algal cultivation. NH₄, NO₃ and SRP concentration were highly increased with 160, 17 and 79 folds, respectively relative to the early. As a result, the senescence of Microcystis population seemed to be an important biological factor in which cause more eutrophy and increase of explosive algal development by a lot of nutrients transfer to water body. There are significantly observed an effort of reduce for production of inner organic matters such a phytoplankton as well as load pollutants from watershed in side of the water quality management of reservoir.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.313-321
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• 2003

This review summarizes the recent advances in high-density algal cultures in the field of algal biotechnology. Photobioreactor engineering for economical and effective utilization of algae and its products has made impressive and promising progress. Bioprocess engineers have expedited the design and the operation of algal cultivation systems. Many of them in use today are open systems due to cost considerations, and closed photobioreactors have recently attracted a considerable attention for the production of valuable biochemicals or for special applications. For high-density cultures, the optimization of environmental factors in the photobioreactors have been explored, including light delivery, CO$_2$and O$_2$gas transfer, medium supply, mixing and temperature. It is expected that further advanced photobioreactor engineering will enable the commercialization of noble algal products within the next decade.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1547-1554
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• 2015

The potential of microalgae biofuel has not been realized because of the low productivity and high costs associated with the current cultivation systems. In this study, a new low-cost and transparent attachment material was tested for cultivation of a filamentous algal strain, Stigeoclonium sp., isolated from wastewater. Initially, the different materials tested for Stigeoclonium cultivation in untreated wastewater were nylon mesh, polyethylene mesh, polypropylene bundle (PB), polycarbonate plate, and viscose rayon. Among the materials tested, PB led to a firm attachment, high biomass (53.22 g/m², dry cell weight), and total lipid yield (5.8 g/m²) with no perceivable change in FAME profile. The Stigeoclonium-dominated biofilm consisted of bacteria and extracellular polysaccharide, which helped in biofilm formation and for effective wastewater treatment (viz., removal efficiency of total nitrogen and total phosphorus corresponded to ~38% and ~90%, respectively). PB also demonstrated high yields under multilayered cultivation in a single reactor treating wastewater. Hence, this system has several advantages over traditional suspended and attached systems, with possibility of increasing areal productivity three times using Stigeoclonium sp. Therefore, multilayered attached growth algal cultivation systems seem to be the future cultivation model for large-scale biodiesel production and wastewater treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1434-1443
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• 2019

Although chemical oxygen demand (COD) is an important issue for wastewater treatment, COD reduction with microalgae has been less studied compared to nitrogen or phosphorus removal. COD removal is not efficient in conventional wastewater treatment using microalgae, because the algae release organic compounds, thereby finally increasing the COD level. This study focused on enhancing COD removal and meeting the effluent standard for discharge by optimizing sludge inoculation timing, which was an important factor in forming a desirable algae/bacteria consortium for more efficient COD removal and higher biomass productivity. Activated sludge has been added to reduce COD in many studies, but its inoculation was done at the start of cultivation. However, when the sludge was added after 3 days of cultivation, at which point the COD concentration started to increase again, the algal growth and biomass productivity were higher than those of the initial sludge inoculation and control (without sludge). Algal and bacterial cell numbers measured by qPCR were also higher with sludge inoculation at 3 days later. In a semi-continuous cultivation system, a hydraulic retention time of 5 days with sludge inoculation resulted in the highest biomass productivity and N/P removal. This study achieved a further improved COD removal than the conventional microalgal wastewater treatment, by introducing bacteria in activated sludge at optimized timing.