• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.365-384
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• 2012

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that are highly productive in the presence of basic renewable natural sources (light, $CO_2$, water and nutrients). They can synthesize lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in a small number of days. Subsequently, these carbon-captured products can be processed into both biofuels and valuable co-products. Additionally, microalgae would be an ideal feedstock for replacing land-based food crops with cellular products as high energy density transportation fuels. These microscopic organisms could contribute a significant amount of renewable energy on a global scale. In Korea, microalgae biofuel research was common in the early 1990s. The research activities were unfortunately stopped due to limited governmental funds and low petroleum prices. Interest in algal biofuels in Korea has been growing recently due to an increased concern over oil prices, energy security, greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for other biofuel feedstock to compete for limited agricultural resources. The high productivity of microalgae suggests that much of the Korean transportation fuel requirements can be met by biofuels at a production cost competitive with the increasing cost of petroleum seen in early 2008. At this time, the development of microlalgal biomass production technology remains in its infancy. This study reviewed microalgae culture systems and biomass production, harvesting, oil extraction, conversion, and technoeconomical bottlenecks. Many technical and economic barriers to using microalgal biofuels need to be overcome before mass production of microalgal-derived fuel substitutes is possible. However, serious efforts to overcome these barriers could become a large-scale commercial reality. Overall, this study provides a brief overview of the past few decades of global microalgal research.

• 공업화학
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.10-15
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• 2016

에너지 수요의 증가와 화석연료 고갈에 대비해 재생가능한 자원에 대한 관심이 높다. 목질계 바이오매스는 지속 및 재생 가능하며, 원유로부터 생산되는 화학물질을 대체할 수 있고, 바이오 기반의 화학물질과 바이오연료를 생산하는 원료물질로 인식되고 있다. 푸르푸랄은 푸란을 기반으로 하는 메틸퓨란, 터트라하이드로퓨판, 메틸테트라하이드로퓨란, 에틸테트라하이드로퓨릴 이써, 에틸 레부리네이트, 레불루닉산과 알칸 등 화학물질 및 용매 생산을 위한 천연 전구체이며, 바이오 화학물질과 바이오연료를 위한 재생 가능한 화학 플랫폼으로 잠재력을 가지고 있다. 본 논문에서는 바이오리파이너리 개념, 푸르푸랄의 생산과 응용분야에 대해 고찰을 하였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권8호
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• pp.1235-1243
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• 2020

The use of microalgal biomass as feedstock for biofuels has been discussed for decades as it provides a sustainable approach to producing fuels for the future. Nonetheless, its feasibility has not been established yet and various aspects of biomass applications such as CO₂ biofixation should also be explored. Therefore, in this study, the CO₂ biofixation and lipid/carbohydrate production potential of Chlorella sp. ABC-001 were examined under various nitrogen concentrations. The highest biomass productivity and CO₂ biofixation rate of 0.422 g/l/d and 0.683 g/l/d, respectively, were achieved under a nitrogen-rich condition (15 mM nitrate). Carbohydrate content was generally proportional to initial nitrate concentration and showed the highest value of 41.5% with 15 mM. However, lipid content showed an inverse relationship with nitrogen supplementation and showed the highest value of 47.4% with 2.5 mM. In consideration as feedstock for biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas), the sum of carbohydrate and lipid contents were examined and the highest value of 79.6% was achieved under low nitrogen condition (2.5 mM). For lipid-based biofuel production, low nitrogen supplementation should be pursued. However, considering the lower feasibility of biodiesel, pursuing CO₂ biofixation and the production of carbohydrate-based fuels under nitrogen-rich condition might be more rational. Thus, nitrogen status as a cultivation strategy must be optimized according to the objective, and this was confirmed with the promising alga Chlorella sp. ABC-001.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1597-1606
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• 2020

Transcription factor engineering to regulate multiple genes has shown promise in the field of microalgae genetic engineering. Here, we report the first use of transcription factor engineering in Chlorella sp. HS2, thought to have potential for producing biofuels and bioproducts. We identified seven endogenous bZIP transcription factors in Chlorella sp. HS2 and named them HSbZIP1 through HSbZIP7. We overexpressed HSbZIP1, a C-type bZIP transcription factor, in Chlorella sp. HS2 with the goal of enhancing lipid production. Phenotype screening under heterotrophic conditions showed that all transformants exhibited increased fatty acid production. In particular, HSbZIP1 37 and 58 showed fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yields of 859 and 1,052 mg/l, respectively, at day 10 of growth under heterotrophic conditions, and these yields were 74% and 113% higher, respectively, than that of WT. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the improved phenotypes, we identified candidate HSbZIP1-regulated genes via transcription factor binding site analysis. We then selected three genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and investigated mRNA expression levels of the genes by qRT-PCR. The result revealed that the possible HSbZIP1-regulated genes involved in fatty acid synthesis were upregulated in the HSbZIP1 transformants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that HSbZIP1 can be utilized to improve lipid production in Chlorella sp. HS2 under heterotrophic conditions.

• 한국생산제조학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.237-243
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• 2016

Recently, technologies that produce biofuels from microalgae are being studied worldwide. It is necessary to significantly reduce the production costs of biofuels from microalgae for economic reasons. In this study, the growth curve of the microalgae was obtained using the batch-culture method, and the specific growth rate was predicted using the regression method. Based on the culture conditions of the estimated specific growth rate, the turbidity of the microalgae in the flat panel photobioreactor (PBR) was measured. Furthermore, an on-off control scheme was applied to the flat panel PBR in order to culture the microalgae continuously on the basis of turbidity. The parameters of the on-off control system were displayed by LabView. The on-off scheme of peristaltic pump was controlled based on the turbidity in the PBR. In addition, the turbidity values of growth curves were compared and analyzed in the continuous culture process using the on-off controller.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.67-71
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• 2010

Output traits centered on improved plant-based products will find their way to consumers in such ways as nutritionally enhanced foods, therapeutic proteins for disease treatment and vaccines, bio-industrial products, modified oil quality and biofuels. Significant progress in biotechnology has occurred over the last several decades. The importance of output traits development and production using biotechnology will impact not only agribusiness, but also pharmaceutical and food industries. The objective of this paper is to review briefly the current status of output traits development in crop plants using nutrients and pharmaceuticals as examples.

• 한국해양바이오학회지
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.8-16
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• 2014

Macroalgae has been strongly touted as an alternative biomass for biofuel production due to its higher photosynthetic efficiency, carbon fixation rate, and growth rate compared to conventional cellulosic plants. However, its unique carbohydrate composition and structure limits the utilization efficiency by conventional microorganisms, resulting in reduced growth rates and lower productivity. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that it is possible to enable microorganisms to utilize various sugars from seaweeds and to produce some energy chemicals such as methane, ethanol, etc. This paper introduces the basic information on macroalgae and the overall conversion process from harvest to production of biofuels. Especially, we will review the successful efforts on microbial engineering through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology to utilize carbon sources from red and brown seaweed.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.565-573
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• 2019

섬유소계 바이오매스로부터 바이오 연료 등과 같은 유용한 물질을 생산하기 위해서는 바이오매스로부터 유래하는 혼합당을 효과적으로 대사할 수 있는 균주의 개발이 필수적이다. 본 연구에서는 xylose를 대사가 가능한 효모인 P. stipitis를 적응진화하여 cellobiose 대사효율이 향상되고 cellobiose와 xylose를 동시에 대사할 수 있는 균주를 개발하고자 하였다. 총 10회의 계대배양을 통해 얻어진 진화된 P. stipitis 돌연변이 균주는 모균주에 비해 6배 이상 증가된 cellobiose 대사속도를 나타내었으며 ethanol 생산수율을 0에서 0.4 (g ethanol/g cellobiose)로 향상시켰다. 아울러 본 실험에서 개발한 돌연변이 균주는 cellobiose와 xylose 혼합당 조건에서 모균주에 비해 2배 가까이 향상된 ethanol 생산 및 생산속도를 나타내었다.

• 한국응용과학기술학회지
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.540-559
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• 2018

액상 바이오연료를 생산할 수 있는 하수슬러지는 자국의 에너지 안보와 지속가능한 생산이 가능하고 경제적인 원료로 여겨지고 있다. 열화학적 기술은 하수슬러지를 에너지화, 연료화할 수 있는 가장 효과적인 방법이다. 일반적으로 하수슬러지는 수분 함량이 80% 이상으로 높은 금속 함량과 14 ~ 20 MJ/kg의 발열량을 갖고 있다. 본 논문에서는 하수슬러지를 활용한 액상 바이오연료를 생산하는 열분해 반응, 전이에스테르화 반응, 초임계 반응 기술에 대해 살펴보고자 한다. 또한, 하수슬러지 유래 액상 바이오연료의 연료적 특성과 액상 바이오연료와 관련한 국내 법에 대해 검토하였다.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.125-131
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• 2015

Kluyveromyces marxianus is a well-known thermotolerant yeast. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most commonly used yeast species for ethanol production, the thermotolerant K. marxianus is more suitable for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes. This is because enzymatic saccharification usually requires a higher temperature than that needed for the optimum growth of S. cerevisiae. In this study, we compared the fermentation patterns of S. cerevisiae and K. marxianus under various temperatures of fermentation. The results show that at a fermentation temperature of $45^{\circ}C$, K. marxianus exhibited more than two fold higher growth rate and ethanol production rate in comparison to S. cerevisiae. For SSF using starch or corn stover as the sole carbon source by K. marxianus, the high temperature ($45^{\circ}C$) fermentations showed higher enzymatic activities and ethanol production compared to SSF at $30^{\circ}C$. These results demonstrate the potential of the thermotolerant yeast K. marxianus for SSF in the industrial production of biofuels.