• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.20-28
• /
• 2013

Photobiological hydrogen production by nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacteria has long been considered to be an environmentally sound and very promising method for the future supply of renewable clean energy. Using six Korean nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacterial strains and the Synechococcus sp. strain Miami BG043511 we performed cultivation experiments to find out the strain-specific optimal temperature for population growth and $H_2$ production. Under $20^{\circ}C$ the population growth of all the tested strains was significantly retarded in contrasts to the faster and higher growth under 25, 30 or $35^{\circ}C$. The highest growth rates in all the 7 strains were measured under $30^{\circ}C$ while the maximal biomass yields were under $30^{\circ}C$ (strains CB-MAL 026, 054, and 055) or $35^{\circ}C$ (strains 002, 031, 058, and Miami BG043511). The difference between the maximal biomass yields at $30^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$ was not greater than 10%. The quantity of photobiologically produced $H_2$ was only slight larger under $35^{\circ}C$ than that under $20^{\circ}C$. Our result may suggest a two-step process of $H_2$ production which includes rapid and sizable production of biomass at $30^{\circ}C$ and the following high $H_2$ production at $20^{\circ}C$ by the test strains of marine nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacteria.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 2009

Geothermal springs in India, formed as a result of volcanic or tectonic activities, are characterized by high temperature and relatively abundant reduced compounds. These thermal springs are inhabited by characteristic thermophilic organisms including cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are among the few organisms that can occupy high temperature aquatic environments including hot springs. In alkaline and neutral hot springs and streams flowing from them cyanobacteria can form thick colourful mats that exhibit banding patterns. The present investigation involves study of mat forming cyanobacterial flora from hot springs located in Bakreswar, West Bengal, India. The important species found are Synechococcus bigranulatus, S. lividus, Gloeocapsa gelatinosa, G. muralis, Phormidium laminosum, P. frigidum, Oscillatoria princes, O. fragilis, Lyngbya lutea, Pseudanabaena sp., Calothrix thermalis, and Fischerella thermalis. Their distribution pattern in relation to physico-chemical parameters of spring water has also been studied. Three cyanobacterial strains of the above mentioned list were grown in culture and their pigment content and nitrogen fixing capacity were also studied. Nitrogen fixing capacities of Calothrix thermalis, Nostoc sp. (isolated in culture) and Fischerella thermalis are 5.14, 0.29, and 2.60 n mole $C_2H_4/{\mu}g$ of Chl-${\alpha}$/hr respectively. Carotenoid : Chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ ratio of four mat samples collected from Kharkunda, Suryakunda, Dudhkunda and bathing pool are 2.45, 1.60, 1.48, and 1.34, respectively. Higher value of Carotenoid : Chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ ratio coincided with higher temperature.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.63-68
• /
• 2009

Among various microscopic organisms producing photobiological hydrogen, cyanobacteria have long been recognized as the promising biological agents for hydrogen economy in 21 century. For photobiological production of hydrogen energy, marine unicellular $N_2$-fixing cyanobacteria have been evaluated as an ideal subgroup of Cyanophyceae. To develope the hydrogen production technology using unicellular $N_2$-fixing cyanobacteria, 3 important factors are pre-requisite: 1) isolation of the best strain from marine natural environment, 2) exploration on the strain-specific optimal conditions for the photobiological hydrogen production, and finally 3) application of the molecular genetic tools to improve the natural ability of the strain to produce hydrogen. Here we reviewed the recent research & development to commercialize photobiological hydrogen production technology, and suggest that intensive R&D during next 10-15 years should be imperative for the future Korean initiatives in the field of the photobiological hydrogen production technology using photosynthetic marine unicellular cyanobacterial strains.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.104-110
• /
• 2010

Photobiological hydrogen production by nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacteria has long been considered to be an environmentally sound and very promising method for the future supply of renewable clean energy. We tried to find out the optimum cell concentration for $H_2$ production in each of the two new Korean nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacterial strains to compare with Synechococcus sp. strain Miami BG043511. The two Korean strains, Cyanothece sp. KNU CB MAL-031 and KNU CB MAL-058, were isolated from Korean west coasts. Cell concentrations up to 17 billion cells $ml^{-1}$ were applied to the tests. High cell concentration over 15 billion cells $ml^{-1}$ resulted in drastically reduced $H_2$ production in all the three strains. The two domestic strains, however, produced 2-3 time more hydrogen than Synechococcus sp. Miami BG043511 at cell concentrations of 5-10 billion cells $ml^{-1}$. At lower cell concentrations than 2 billion cells $ml^{-1}$, MAL-031 exhibited highest $H_2$ production followed by Miami BG043511, with far less production in MAL-058. Present result suggests that Cyanothece sp. MAL-CB031 might be one of the ideal nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacterial strains for the photobiological hydrogen production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.240-246
• /
• 2006

Cyanobacteria are present abundantly in rice fields and are important in helping to maintain rice fields fertility through nitrogen fixation. Many rice fields soil contain a high density of cyanobactera, and over 50% of cyanobacterial genera that are in existence in rice paddy fields are heterocystous filamentous forms. A total of 142 isolates of heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria were screened from 100 soil samples taken from rice paddy fields in 10 different locations across Korea, classified according to their morphological characteristics under light microscopy, and their susceptibly to fungicides examined. The collected blue-green alga were classified into a total of 14 genera, including seven genera of filamentous cyanobacteria and seven genera of nonfilamentous cyanobacteria. In particular, 142 heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria were isolated and classified into six genera, including Anabaena, Nostoc, Calothrix, Cylindrospermum, Nodularia, Scytomena, and Tolypotrix. Yet, over 90% of the heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria isolated from the rice paddy fields belonged to two genera: Anabaena and Nostoc. The response of 129 $N_2-fixing$ cyanobacterial isolates, 53 Anabaena and 76 Nostoc, to 10 fungicides was then investigated. The results showed that the Nostoc spp. were more tolerant of the ten tested fungicides than the Anabaena spp., and among the ten tested fungicides, benomyl showed the highest acute toxicity to Anabaena spp. and Nostoc spp. In conclusion, although benomyl is a very useful agent to control phytopathogenic fungi, the application of this fungicide to rice fields should be considered because of its toxicity to the heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.122-128
• /
• 2006

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.177-183
• /
• 2004

The discharge of waste nutrient solution from greenhouse to natural ecosystem leads to the accumulation of excess nutrients that results in contamination or eutrophication. There is a need to recycle the waste nutrient solution in order to prevent the environmental hazards. The amount and kind of nutrients in waste nutrient solution might be enough to grow photosynthetic microorganisms. Hence in the present study, we examined the growth and mass cultivation of cyanobacteria in the waste nutrient solution with an objective of removing N and P and concomitantly, its mass cultivation. Four photosynthetic filamentous cyanobacteria (Anabaena HA101, HA701 and Nostoc HN601, HN701) isolated from composts and soils of the Chungnam province were used as culture strains. Among the isolates, Nostoc HN601 performed faster growth rate and higher N and P uptake in the BG-II ($NO_3{^-}$) medium when compared to those of other cyanobacterial strains. Finally, the selected isolate was tested under optimum conditions (airflow at the rate of $1L\;min^{-1}$. in 15 L reactor, initial pH 8) in waste nutrient solution from tomato hydroponic in green house condition. Results showed to remove 100% phosphate from the waste nutrient solution in the tomato hydroponics recorded over a period of 7 days. The growth rate of Nostoc HN601 was $16mg\;Chl-a\;L^{-1}$ in the waste nutrient solution from tomato hydroponics with optimum condition, whereas growth rate of Nostoc HN601 was only $9.8mg\;Chl-a\;L^{-1}$ in BG-11 media. Nitrogen fixing capacity of Nostoc HN601 was $20.9nmol\;C_2H_4\;mg^{-1}\;Chl-a\;h^{-1}$ in N-free BG-11. The total nitrogen and total phosphate concentration of Nostoc HN601 were 63.3 mg N gram dry weight $(GDW)^{-1}$ and $19.1mg\;P\;GDW^{-1}$ respectively. Collectively, cyanobacterial mass production using waste nutrient solution under green house condition might be suitable for recycling and cleaning of waste nutrient solution from hydroponic culture system. Biomass of cyanobacteria, cultivated in waste nutrient solution, could be used as biofertilizer.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.90-96
• /
• 2007

To overcome the problem of the yield reduction due to the viral satellite mediated protection, a culture mix of three nitrogen-fixing bacteria species of the genus Azospirillum (A. brasilienses N040, A. brasilienses SP7, and A. lipoferum MRB16), and one strain of cyanobacteria (Anabena oryzae Fritsch) were utilized as biofertilizer mixture in both greenhouse and field experiments. When protected plants were treated with biofertilizer mixtures, the fruit yield of biofertilized plants increased by 48% and 40% in a greenhouse and field experiment, respectively, compared to untreated plants inoculated with the protective viral strain alone. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis of total nucleic acid (TNA) extracts revealed that biofertilization did not affect the accumulation of the viral satellite RNA (CARNA 5) that is required for plant protection against other destructive viral strains of CMV. The yield increment was a good compensation for the yield loss caused by the use of the protective viral strain associated with CARNA 5.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.391-396
• /
• 1992

Anabaena variabilis A TCC 29413. a photoautotrophic and nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria. was investigated on the environmental factors regulating the growth and nitrogen lixation activity. A good growth of cyanobacteria] cells was observed due to nitrogen t1xation by the heterocyst differentiation in nitrogen free Allen and Arnon (]/8) medium. The nitrogenase activity was appeared to be in proportion to the cell growth lor 6 days then drastically decreased in the later growth period when the nitraTe was accumulated to high level in the culture to cause the inhibition. The optima] conditions lilr the cell growth and nitrogenase activity of A. varillbili.l were anaerobic. IO.OO0 lux. $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 8 with the nitrogen Cree minimal medium. The activity was significantly inhihited by the low concentrations of ammonium and nitrate. but was stimulated b) the ]ow Ieve] of phosphate and carbonate sources. The treatments of several toxic heavy metals showed strong inhibition of the cell growth and nitrogenase activity by O.3~10 ppm in the order of $Hg^{2+}$ > $Cd^{2+}$ > $Co^{2+}$ > $Zn^{2+}$ > $Ph^{2+}$, and the concentrations for 50% inhibition of the maximum activity were 0.41. 0.47. 0.5 L 0.66 and 8.1 ppm. respectively. The addition of carbohydrates (0.5~ 1.0%) in the dark condition stimulated the growth and activity in the order of sucrose > fructose > glucose.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.158-164
• /
• 2006

Yongdam Lake is the fifth largest artificial lake in Korea newly formed by the first impounding the Yongdam Multi-purpose Dam on December, 2002. Yongdam Lake, with her total water storage of 820 million M/T, is located at the roof-top region of the streams flowing into the just-constructed new Saemankeum Lake. Seasonal succession of phytoplakton in Yongdam Lake might affect cyanobacterial blooms in Saemankeum Lake by inoculating seasonal dominants. During 2002-2003 when the first impounding after the construction of Yongdam Multi-purpose Dam was still undergoing, summer cyanobacterial blooms by Anabaena, Microcystis, and Aphanizomenon were observed. Among these three, filamentous Anabaena is well known to have its species with $N_2-fixing$ ability and special cells such as heterocysts and akinetes as well as the vegetative cells. We established a clonal culture of Anabaena spiroides v. crasse (KNU-YD0310) from the live water samples collected at the bloom site of Yongdam Lake. The N- and P-nutrient requirement of the KNU-YD0310 was explored by the experimental cultivation of the laboratory strain. Ratio of heterocysts to vegetative cells increased as N-deficiency extended with its maximum at $N_2-fixing$ condition. The strain KNU-YD0310 exhibited considerable growth under N-limiting conditions while its growth was proportional to the initial phosphate-P concentration under P-deficient conditions. Under P-limiting conditions akinete density increased, which could be interpreted as an adaptation strategy to survive severe environment by transforming into resting stage. The above eco-physiological characteristics of Anabaena spiroides v. crassa might be useful as an ecological criterion in controlling cyanobacterial blooms at Shaemankeum Lake in near future.