Consortium Growth of Filamentous Fungi and Microalgae: Evaluation of Different Cultivation Strategies to Optimize Cell Harvesting and Lipid Accumulation

Author(s)

Zorn, Savienne M. F. E. ^[1] ; Reis, Cristiano E. R. ^[1] ; Silva, Messias B. ^[1] ; Hu, Bo ^[2] ; De Castro, Heizir F. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Engn Sch Lorena, Dept Chem Engn, BR-12602810 Lorena, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Minnesota, Dept Bioprod & Biosyst Engn, St Paul, MN 55108 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ENERGIES; v. 13, n. 14 JUL 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the potential of consortium biomass formation betweenMucor circinelloides, an oleaginous filamentous fungal species, andChlorella vulgaris, in order to promote a straightforward approach to harvest microalgal cells and to evaluate the lipid production in the consortium system. A synthetic medium with glucose (2 g center dot L-1) and mineral nutrients essential for both fungi and algae was selected. Four different inoculation strategies were assessed, considering the effect of simultaneous vs. separate development of fungal spores and algae cells, and the presence of a supporting matrix aiming at the higher recovery of algae cell rates. The results were evaluated in terms of consortium biomass composition, demonstrating that the strategy using a mature fungal mycelium with a higher algae count may provide biomass samples with up to 79% of their dry weight as algae, still promoting recovery rates greater than 97%. The findings demonstrate a synergistic effect on the lipid accumulation by the fungal strain, at around a fourfold increase when compared to the axenic control, with values in the range of 23% of dry biomass weight. Furthermore, the fatty acid profile from the samples presents a balance between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that is likely to present an adequate balance for applications such as biodiesel production. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/10636-8 - From the cell factory to the Biodiesel-Bioethanol integrated biorefinery: a systems approach applied to complex problems in micro and macroscales
• Grantee: Roberto de Campos Giordano
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/01386-3 - Artificial lichens and the integration of products with high added value to a biorefinery
• Grantee: Savienne Maria Fiorentini Elerbrock Zorn
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 17/12908-8 - Fungal cultivation on sugarcane vinasse and development of a platform for high-value products in the ethanol industry
• Grantee: Cristiano Eduardo Rodrigues Reis
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral