Bio-coatings in permeated cultivation systems: Unprecedented impacts on microalgal monoculture growth and organic matter yield

Environ Res. 2023 Oct 15:117403. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117403. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBio-coating, a recent and promising approach in attached microalgal cultivation systems, has garnered attention due to its efficiency in enhancing immobilized algal growth, particularly in submerged cultivation systems. However, when the cells are cultured on thin solid microporous substrates that physically separate them from the nutrient medium, it remains unclear whether the applied bio-coatings still have a significant impact on algal growth or the subsequent rates of algal organic matter (AOM) release. Therefore, this current work investigated the role of bio-coatings on the microalgal monoculture growth of one freshwater species, Chlorella vulgaris ESP 31, and one marine species, Cylindrotheca fusiformis on a hydrophilic substrate, polyvinylidene fluoride membrane in a permeated cultivation system. Wide range of bio-coating sources were adapted, with the result demonstrating that bacteria-derived coating promoted algal growth by as high as 140% when compared with the control group for both species. Interestingly, two distinct adaptation mechanisms were observed between the species, with only C. fusiformis demonstrating a positive correlation between cell growth and AOM productivity, particularly in its extracellularly bound fractions. It is worth noting that despite this specific fraction exhibiting the lowest content among all; it displayed significant relevance in terms o...
Source: Environmental Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: research