Mass cultivation of useful

microalgae in Indian

scenario

Dr. Ruma Pal

Department of Botany

University of Calcutta

WHAT IS ALGAE

Algae are artificial assemblage of oxygen

evolving photosynthetic organisms, without

having root, stems or leaves and lack sterile

covering on their reproductive cells.

TYPES OF ALGAE

Group-I Prokaryotic Algae

Group-II Eukaryotic Algae

Group-III

Group-IV

1.Cyanobacteria & Green Cyanobacteria 2.Glaucophyta 3.Rhodophyta 4.Chlorophyta 5.Euglenophyta 6.Dinophyta 7. Apicomplexa

8.Cryptophyta 9.Heterokontophyta 10.Prymnesiophyta

Variation in thallus Structure

Unicellular

Chlorella

Colonial

Filamentous

Spirogyra

Volvox

Mode of Reproduction – ReproductiveUnit

Hormogones – Portion of Vegetative body

Vegetative asexual spores and cysts – Thick walled spores

Sexual reproduction – Gametogenesis – Zygote - Zygospores

Rate of reproduction – 2 to 3 hrs to few years

Life Cycle of Microalgae

Reproductive units of cyanobacteria showing a. initiation of hormogone formation,

b. hormogones, c. viable pseudo hormogones, d. hormogones within sheath, e. release

of pseudo hormogones

a. b. c.

d. e.

Habit and Habitat

Fresh water Brackish water Marine water

NUTRITION - i) Autotrophic, ii) Heterotrophic

Special Nutrient Requirement

High pH High salinity High silica

Spirulina

Euglena

Dunaliella

Phormidium Nannochloropsis

Diatom

Why Microalgal biotechnology?

Very fast growing

High production of various important product

Consumption of nutrient from waste

Simple mode of reproduction

Easy to harvest

Can be cultivated in marine water and waste lands

ANIMAL FEED

ADDITIVES

COSMETICS

FOOD ADDITIVES

MICROALGAL

BIOTECHNOLOGY

PIGMENTS

POLYSACCHARIDE

FATTY ACID - PUFA

BIOFUEL

PRODUCTION

WASTE WATER

TREATMENT

GM-ALGAE- MOLECULAR

FARMING, RECOMBINANT

PROTEIN, ANTIBODIES,

VACCINES

PRECIOUS METAL SEPARATION

Chlorella

ß-1, 3 glucan- active immunostimulator

Free radicals scavenger

Reducer of blood lipid

Antitumour effect of

Chlorella polysaccharide

Haematococcus

1.5-3% astaxanthin of dry weigh

Cost, US $ 2500/kg.

Aquaculture market US $ 200 million,

Protect skin from UV ray,

Antiaging property,

Protect against cancer,

Enhance immune system

Reduce coronary heart attack.

Spirulina

Protein 65% of dry weight

Essential fatty acid-

gamma- linolinic acid.

Polysaccharide-commercial

product spirotan

Phycobiliprotein,Carotenoid

Vitamin B12

Minerals

Dunaliella

5-15 gm ß carotene/m3 in

intensive cultivation

50,000 m2 pond produce

3650 kg ß carotene/year

worth $300 to $3000/kg –

sold up as health food

or food supplement.

Tablet coated by sugar

wrapped by alluminium foil.

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROSPECT OF SOME MICROALGAE

As food Nostoc commune Chinese People > 2000 years ago

Other microalgae Human Food 4th to 6th Century in China and Japan

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite by using Diatomaceous earth to absorb nitro glycerine into a portable stick 1860 Production of Chlorella biomass 1960 Microalgae in aquaculture 1970 Microalgal production to meet up energy crisis 1970

Micro algal biotechnology :A Historical view-

COMPANIES

Algal Genera Country/Place Companies

Chlorella Taipei, Taiwan Nihon Chlorella

Dunaliella Australia

Chennai, India

Western Biotechnology Cognis Nutrition and Health,

Parry Agro Limited

Spirulina Lake Texcoco, Mexico

Mysore, India

Sosa Texcoco

CFTRI, MMM Murugappa Chettinad Institute, Parry Agro Limited

Haematococcus Australia

India

BEAM (Biotechnological & Environmental Application of Microalgae)

Parry Agro Limited

ALGAE PRODUCTION

Closed photo bioreactor

.

Algatechnologie's Haematococcus

production plant in the heart of the

Negev desert in Israel.

“Red-stage” Haematococcus solar

photo bioreactors

Cultivation of Haematococcus

pluvialis in a 30 litre air-lift bioreactor Outdoor BioDomeReactor,Hawaii,USA

Lake MacLeod (world's largest natural salt

lake ) Western Australia approx 6,000

hectares. Under conditions of high salinity and

high solar radiance, it accumulates very high

levels of beta carotene as part of the cell

biomass.

Natural Dunaliella cultivation Dunaliella Production Unit

Dunaliella gold is a potent source

of natural mixed carotenoids and

important daily nutrients. Dunaliella salina soft capsule

($300 to3000/kg)

($2500/kg,

Market $200 million)

Haematococcus

Dunaliella

Major Algal Biomass project In India :

All India Co-ordinated Project on Algae (DST – 1976-81)-

IARI,CFTRI,CSMCRI,NEERI,NBRI

Indo Jerman Project on Spirulina – 1973-81-

CFTRI (L.V.Venkataraman and Becker)

MCRC – Dr.N Jeejibai (Rural technology)

University of Rajasthan –Prof P.Srivastava (Rural technology)

University of Madras – Prof G Rengaswamy

Ongoing all India Co-ordinated projects on Bio-fuel-

DBT,CSIR-NIMTLI

PVC tank used for Spirulina cultivation. Thatched

roof for reduction of light intensity.

Algal tank constructed with brick and cement for rural

cultivation of Spirulina CFTRI, Mysore, India.

Circular cement tank for Scenedesmus

cultivation. Aerobic digester for CO2

production from agricultural waste in the

foreground.

Open race way pond

Low cost

Mass

production

Local Strain

Exploitation

Cost Effective Process

Tank culture

Tray & Tub

culture

Open Raceway Pond

Mass Cultivation at Algal Net House, Green House

Premises, Banabitan, Saltlake

Tank Culture

Advantages of enclosed PBR Better control of algal culture

Large surface to volume ratio

Better control of gas transfer

Reduction in evaporation of growth medium

More uniform temperature

Better protection from outside contamination

Higher algal cell densities

Advantages Open tank culture

More production rate

Cost effective

Collection and culture establishment of Euglena

(Sundarban)

Natural Bloom

Vertical photo bioreactor

Vertical Photobioreactor Biomass Collection

Large Scale Microalgal Cultivation

Diatom cultures

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0 4 7 11 14 19 22 26

Ch

loro

ph

yll

(m

g/g

m D

W)

Days

Chlorococcum infusionum

NaNO3

NH4Cl

Urea

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

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0 4 7 11 14 19 22 26

Ch

loro

ph

yll

(m

g/g

m D

W)

Days

Spirulina subsalsa

NaNO3

NH4Cl

Urea

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 4 7 11 14 19 22 26

Ch

loro

ph

yll

(m

g/g

m D

W)

Days

Phormidium valderianum

NaNO3

NH4Cl

Urea

Growth yield of algae under different nitrogen sources in laboratory condition

Navicula minima

R² = 0.902

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Au

g '0

7

Sep

'07

Oct '0

7

No

v '0

7

Dec '0

7

Jan

'08

Feb

'08

Mar '0

8

Ap

r '08

May

'08

Ju

n '0

8

Ju

l '08

gm

dry w

eig

ht

Growth of P.valderianum (outdoor)

R² = 0.014

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Au

g '0

7

Sep

'07

Oct '0

7

No

v '0

7

Dec '0

7

Jan '0

8

Feb

'08

Mar '0

8

Ap

r '08

May

'08

Jun

'08

Jul '0

8

gm

dry

weig

ht

Growth of P.valderiuanum (indoor)

Growth performance of Phormidium under different irradiance

• Irradiance – 1200 lux

• Temperature – 23 °C

Culture condition

Indoor:

• Irradiance ~ 900 - 3000 lux

• Temperature – 21 - 39 °C

Outdoor:

• Steady growth throughout the

year due to maintenance of

similar culture conditions

Result

Outdoor:

Indoor:

• Highest biomass yield in April

(late spring).

• Lowest yield in September (late

summer)

Low cost techniques for Spirulina production for rural people in family

scale at Bagnan Howrah (DST project 1990)

Waste water Management

Thank You