• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.962-971
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• 2002

The current study proposes a simple monodimensional model to estimate the linear growth rate of photosynthetic microorganisms in flat-plate photobioreactors (FPPBRs) during batch cultivation. As a model microorganism, Chlorella kessleri was cultivated photoautotrophically in FPPBRs using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the light sources to provide unidirectional irradiation in the photobioreactors. Various conditions were simulated by adjusting both the intensity of the light and the height of the culture. The validity of the proposed model was examined by comparing the linear growth rates measured with the predicted ones obtained from the proposed model. Accordingly, the value of $\frac{K\cdot\mu m}{\alpha\cdot L}log(I_0\cdot{I_s}^{\varepsilon 1)\cdot {I_c}^{-\varepsilon})$ was proposed as an approximate index for strategies to obtain the maximal lightn yield under light-limiting conditions for high-density algal cultures and as a control parameter to improve the photosynthetic productivity and efficiency.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.979-985
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• 2002

The possibility of microalgal nitrogen treatment was tested in wastewaters with a low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Chlorella kessleri was cultured in the two different artificial wastewaters with nitrate as a nitrogen source: one contained glucose for an organic carbon source and the other without organic carbon sources. The growth rates of the two cultures were almost identical when the aeration rate was over 1 vvm. These results suggest that microalgae could successfully remove nitrogen from wastewater, as far as the mass transfer of $CO_2$, was not limited. Nitrate was successfully reduced to below 2 mg $NO_3^-$-N/ml from the initial nitrate concentration of 140 mg $NO_3^-$-N/ml in 10 days, even in the wastewater with no organic carbon source. Similar results were obtained when ammonium was used as the sole nitrogen source instead of nitrate. Higher concentrations of nitrogen of 140, 280, 560 and 1,400 mg/ml were also tested and similar amounts of nitrogen were removed by algal cultures without showing any substrate inhibition.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2001

Chlorella kessleri cultivated in artificial wastewater using diurnal illumination of 12h light/12h dark (L/D) cycles. The inoculum density was 10(sup)5 cells/mL and the irradiance in light cycle was 45$\mu$mol㎡s(sup)-1 at the culture surface. As a control culture, another set of flasks was cultivated under continuous illumination. Regardless of the illumination scheme, the total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) was reduced below 20% of the initial concentration within a day. However, cell concentration under the L/D lighting scheme was lower tan that under the continuous illuminating scheme. Thus the specific removal rate of organic carbon under L/D cycles was higher than that under continuous illumination. This result suggested that C. kessleri grew chemoorganotrophically in the dark periods. After 3 days, nitrate was reduced to 136.5 and 154.1mg NO$_3$-N/L from 168.1mg NO$_3$-N/L under continuous illumination and under diurnal cycles, respectively. These results indicate nitrate removal efficiency under continuous light was better than that under diurnal cycles. High-density algal cultures using optimized photobioreactors with diurnal cycles will save energy and improve organic carbon sources removal.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.553-556
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• 2000

Possibility of biological nitrogen treatment was tested in wastewaters with low C/N ratio. Chlorella kessleri was inoculated at $10^6\;cell/mL$ of initial density in two different artificial wastewaters: one that contained glucose for organic carbon source and the other without carbon source. Nitrate could be successfully reduced below 10 mg $NO_3/mL$ from initial nitrate concentration of 560 mg $NO_3/mL$ in 10 days even in the wastewater without carbon source, This 98% removal of nitrate without extra organic carbon source lights up the future of biological wastewater treatment, where the insufficient ability of nitrogen removal is a major problem.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.817-822
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• 2000

A proper flashing light is expected to enhance microalgal biomass productivity and photosynthetic efficiency. The effect of flashing light on high-density Chlorella kessleri (UTEX 398) cultures was studied using light-emitting diodes. A frequency modulator was designed to flash LEDs, and the device successfully provided wide range of frequencies and various duty cycles of flashing. A relatively high frequencies of 10, 20 and 50 kHz were used in this study. These frequencies have very short flashing time ($2-50{\mu}s$), which corresponded to the time constant of the light reaction of photosynthesis. The specific oxygen production rates of photosynthesis under flashing light were compared with those under an equivalent continuous light in specially designed illumination cuvette. The specific oxygen production rates under flashing light were 5-25% higher than those under the continuous light. A range of cell concentration was discovered, where the benefit of flashing light was maximized. The photosynthetic efficiency was also higher under flashing light with frequencies of over 1 kHz, which was a clear indication of flashing light effect and the degree of mutual shading could by overcome by flashing lights, particularly at high-density algal cultures.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.743-760
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• 2014

This study aimed to isolate and identify freshwater algae from the organic agricultural ecosystems and investigate its biological characteristics to study the possibility of utilizing a biomass freshwater algae in organic farming. In the survey area, average water temperature was $12.4{\sim}28.2^{\circ}C$ and the pH ranges were from 6.1 to 8.5. The solid culture method is more suitable than liquid culture method for isolation of freshwater algae with lower contamination level and higher isolation frequency. A total of 115 strains were isolated from six freshwater algae habitats in nine regions in Korea. BGMM (BG11 Modified Medium) amended with NaNO3 and $KNO_3$ as a nitrogen, and $Na_2CO_3$ as carbon source was designed to isolate and culture freshwater algae. Absorbance of freshwater algae culture has increased dramatically to four days and decreased after eight days after inoculation. CHK008 of the seven isolates showed the highest absorbance in seven days after culturing in BGMM. The optimal pH of BGMM for culturing freshwater algae was pH 6-7. As light intensity increased, growth of freshwater algae increased. Among the five kinds of carbon sources, glucose and galactose promoted good growth of freshwater algae in BGMM. The colony color of purified 16 green algae isolates showed a separation of green, dark and light green, and of them, eleven algae strains showed a strong fluorescent light under fluorescence microscopy. Cell size of the green algae showed a wide range of variation depending on the species. General morphology of the green algae strains was spherical. Chlamydomonas sp. was elliptical, and Chlorella sorokiniana was ellipsoidal and cylindrical. All strains of the green algae except for Chlamydomonas sp. did not have flagella. One isolate of Chlamydomonas sp. and five isolates of C. sorokiniana secreted mucus. Sixteen isolates of 16 green algae were identified as two family and six species, Chlorella vulgalis, C. sorokiniana, C. pyrenoidosa, C. kessleri, C. emersonii, and Chlamydomonas sp. based on their morphological characteristics.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 2004

Korean wastewaters have higher nitrogen concentrations than typical wastewaters of other countries. Most treatment processes such as activated sludge processes will need to supplement extra carbon sources for a complete removal of remaining nitrogen after the initial wastewater treatment, Because of these difficult matters, we have searched wastewater treatment methods that require no additional carbon sources. Wastewater treatment by microalgae in photobioreactors, using a green eukaryotic microalgae, Chlorella kessleri, showed a promising results and thus was selected to study further. This system is not intended to replace the conventional system but is to assist the existing biological treatment systems as a supplemental nitrogen removal process. Thus the secondary treated livestock wastewater was tested. Column type photobioreactors developed in our laboratory were used. When aerated with 5% CO$_2$ balanced with air at 1 vvm and illuminated at 100 ${\mu}$mol/㎡/s under 25$^{\circ}C$ and PH 7-8 by CO$_2$ buffering effect, the maximum nitrogen removal rate was 2.6 mg/L/hr. The results confirmed a possibility of microalgal wastewater treatment system as a secondary system to remove extra nitrogen sources. Based on these experimental results, the size of the optimal microalgal wastewater system was calculated. For the wastewater whose initial nitrogen concentration of 150 mg/L, the optimal batch system was found to be a 2 stage system with a combined retention time of 4.6 day. From the continuous experiments, nitrogen removal rates were examined under different dilution rates and 2 stage system was also found to be the optimal system. The combined retention time for the continuous system was 3.5 days. It is expected that conventional biological wastewater treatment systems followed by microalgal systems would reliably decrease the nitrogen concentration below the government criteria even for the livestock wastewater with low C/N ratio.