Natural production of alkane by an easily harvested freshwater cyanobacterium, Phormidium autumnale KNUA026

doi:2013.28.1.93

Algae > Volume 28(1); 2013 > Article

Algae 2013;28(1): 93-99. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/algae.2013.28.1.093

Jiwon Chang¹^,2, Ji Won Hong¹^,2, Hyunsik Chae¹, Han Soon Kim¹, Kyung Mok Park³, Kyoung In Lee⁴ and Ho-Sung Yoon¹^,2^,*

¹Department of Biology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea
²Advanced Bio-resource Research Center, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea
³Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Dongshin University, Naju 520-714, Korea
⁴Biotechnology Industrialization Center, Dongshin University, Naju 520-811, Korea

*Corresponding Author

Email: hyoon@knu.ac.kr

ABSTRACT

A freshwater cyanobacterium, Phormidium autumnale KNUA026, was isolated from puddles of icy water in Gyeongsan City, South Korea and its potential as a biofuel feedstock was investigated. Maximal growth was obtained when the culture was incubated at 25°C and around pH 9.0. The total lipid content of the isolate was approximately 14.0% of dry weight and it was found that strain KNUA026 was able to autotrophically synthesize heptadecane (C17H36) which can be directly used as fuel without requiring a transesterification step. As this benthic cyanobacterium was capable of forming thick mats, it could be easily harvested by gravitational settling and this property may reduce the cost of production in commercial applications. Hence, P. autumnale KNUA026 appears to be a promising resource for use in the production of microalgae-based biofuels.

Key words: algae-based fuel; alkane; cyanobacterium; heptadecane; Phormidium autumnale