Exposing C.reinhardtii to Anaerobic Atmospheric Conditions to Enhance Hydrogen Production

Chrisitna GeorgePeriod 0,1 Even

June 1, 2009

Need

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/co2_atmosphere.jpg

Need

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Knowledge Base

Anaerobic Conditions: the absence of oxygen

http://www.ilmvac.co.uk/content/products/Anaerobic-container-p112555-01.html

Knowledge Base Sulfur Deprivation: Growing the algae in

Sulfur-replete medium or Sulfur-free medium

http://www.enasco.com/prod/images/products/8A/VC128314l.jpg

Knowledge Base

Autotrophic organism that produces hydrogen in sulfur deprived anaerobic conditions

http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2009/03/090324171556-large.jpg

C.reinahrdtii

Knowledge Base

http://generalhorticulture.tamu.edu/lectsupl/Light/p54f1.gif

Light intensities v. the CO2 exchange when measured by the photosynthetic rate

Isoamylase Gene

Important gene for starch accumulation which is important for hydrogen production (Posewitz, 2005).

http://www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/genomes/date/1bf2.gif

Literature Review Rosenbaum, Miriam (2005)

‘Utilizing the Green Alga C.reinhardtii for Microbial Electricity Generation”

•Direct electricity generation from microbial photosynthetic activity

•Oxidative depletion of hydrogen, photosynthetically produced by C.reinahrdtii under sulfur deprived conditions, by polymer coated electro catalytic electrodes

Literature Review Melis, Anastasios (2000)

“Sustained Photobiological Hydrogen Gas Production upon Reversible Inactivation of oxygen Evolution in C.reinhardtii”

•As sulfur deprivation increases, so does the hydrogen production

Literature Review Posewitz, Matthew C. (2004)

“Hydrogen Photoproduction is Attenuated by Disruption of an Isoamylase Gene in C.reinhardtii”

•Time represents the anaerobic induction time

Literature Review Logan, Bruce E. (2006)

“Using Algae and other Biomass for Hydrogen Production in a Modified Microbial Fuel Cell”

•A small voltage was applied (.25 V) to the algae, which generated pure hydrogen gas at the cathode

Purpose Therefore, the purpose of this experiment

is to find the optimal duration and frequency of anaerobic exposure needed to optimize C.reinhardtii hydrogen production

Hypotheses Alternate: A short period of anaerobic

conditions will increase the hydrogen production

Null: The duration and frequency of anaerobic conditions will have no effect on the amount of hydrogen produced

Exposing C.reinhardtii to Anaerobic Atmospheric

Conditions to Enhance Hydrogen Production

Problem: What is the optimal duration and frequency of anaerobic exposure needed to optimize C.reinhardtii hydrogen production?

Control Groups: The Algae growth medium, Temperature, and light intensity

Independent Variable: Growth of C.reinhardtii and hydrogen produced

Dependent Variable: Carbon dioxide levels, pH levels

All data will statistically analyzed by SPSS, by an ANOVA followed by a Sheffe Post Hoc Test. Data will then be put in line graphs.

-The hydrogen gas produced will be measured using an H2Scan hydrogen detector. -A fluorometer will be used to measure the photosynthetic rate.

6 hours of anaerobic atmospheric conditions

12 hours of anaerobic atmospheric conditions

24 hours of anaerobic atmospheric conditions

-Carbon dioxide concentration measured using a Pasco GLX Xplorer-pH levels measured using pH paper-growth of C.reinhardtii measured using a Spectrophotometer

Do Ability C.reinhardtii: Can be grown in the lab as

done in previous years

Anaerobic container can be purchased

A hydrogen sensor will be difficult to find at a low cost

Budget

Christina George

Vendor Order # Quantity Description Price Total price

Carolina Biological 152040 4 C.reinhardtii 9.50 (ea) 38

Carolina Biological 153752 2 Medium 16.85 (ea) 33.7

Ilmavc 112555-01 1 anaerobic container

Warehouse Lighting WS-110344 1 light 99.99 99.99

VibraFlo bubbler

fishsupply.com SPAEH-21645 1 sump-pump 139.99 139.99

HomeDepot tubing

HomeDepot 1 wooding base

Corning 1 stirrer

A.W. Sperry 1 photometer

fishsupply.com stm-heg1196 1 thermo sensor 12.99 12.99

fishsupply.com slnt-sdt02 1 timer 19.99 19.99

Aturner Designs Fluorometer

h2Scan 1 HY-ALERTA™ 2600

Work Cited Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. "Carbon Dioxide Transformed Into Methanol."

ScienceDaily 17 April 2009. 23 April 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090416102247.htm>. **“Algae Could One Day Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source.” Science Daily. April 2, 2008. American Chemical Society. "'Ice That Burns' May Yield Clean, Sustainable Bridge To Global Energy Future." ScienceDaily

24 March 2009. 23 April 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090323143858.htm>. Basque Research. "Obtaining Bio-gas From Food Industry Waste." ScienceDaily 31 March 2009. 7 May 2009

<http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090331101105.htm>. **Chisti, Yusuf. “Biodiesel from Microalgae.” Biotechnology Advances. Vol. 25, Pgs. 294-306. February 13, 2007. CNRS. "Renewable Energies: The Promise Of Organic Solar Cells." ScienceDaily 10 April 2009. 7 May 2009

<http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090409151444.htm>. DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory. "New Hope For Biomass Fuels: Breaking The Ties That Bind." ScienceDaily 29 April

2009. 3 May 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090422121904.htm>. **Fouchard, Swanny. "Autotrophic and Mixotrophic Hydrogen Photoproduction in Sulfur Deprived C.Reinhardtii." Applied

and Enviornmental Microbiology 71 (2005): 6199-6205. 16 May 2008 <http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1265920&blobtype=pdf>

**Kim Pyo, Jun; et al. “Enhancing hydrogen production by controlling light intensity in sulfur-deprived Chlamydomonas reinhardtii culture.” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Vol.31, Pgs. 1585-1590., September 2006.

**Najafpour, G. "Continuous Hydrogen Production via Fermentation of Synthesis Gas." Petroleum and Coal 45 (2003): 154-158. 12 May 2008 <http://www.vurup.sk/pc/vol45_2003/issue3-4/pdf/14.pdf>.

National Institute of Standards and Technology. "Discovery Of An Unexpected Boost For Solar Water-splitting Cells." ScienceDaily 26 April 2009. 3 May 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090423105853.htm>.

Natural Environment Research Council. "Plants Absorb More Carbon Dioxide Under Polluted Hazy Skies." ScienceDaily 23 April 2009. 23 April 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090422132829.htm>.

Weizmann Institute of Science. "New Way To Split Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen Developed." ScienceDaily 8 April 2009. 23 April 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090406102555.htm>.

**(articles used from last years study)