• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.854-866
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• 2016

The production cost of biodiesel from microalgae is still not competitive, compared with that of petroleum fuels. The genetic improvement of microalgal strains to increase triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation is one way to reduce production costs. One of the most promising approaches is the isolation of starch-deficient mutants, which have been reported to successfully increase TAG yields. To date, such a stable mutant is not available in an oleaginous marine microalga, despite several advantages of using marine species for biodiesel production. Algae in the genus Dunaliella are known to tolerate high salt concentration and other environmental stresses. In addition, the cultivation processes for large-scale outdoor commercialization have been well established for this genus. In this study, Dunaliella tertiolecta was used to screen for starch-deficient mutants, using an iodine vapor-staining method. Four out of 20,016 UV-mutagenized strains showed a substantial reduction of starch content. A significantly higher TAG content, up to 3-fold of the wild-type level, was observed in three of the mutants upon induction by nitrogen depletion. The carotenoid production and growth characteristics of these mutants, under both normal and oxidative stress conditions, were not compromised, suggesting that these processes are not necessarily affected by starch deficiency. The results from this work open up new possibilities for exploring Dunaliella for biodiesel production.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.157-167
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• 2023

Background: The most hazardous wastewater sources in the northern part of the Middle Nile Delta, Egypt; receiving a massive amount of agricultural, industrial, and sewage drainage are Kitchener drain which is one of the tallest drainage systems, and Burullus Lake which represents the 2nd largest Egyptian coastal lake. Results: The current work is to determine the abundance and frequency of cyanophytes, chlorophytes, and bacillariophytes and the correlation between them and environmental abiotic components. Among sixty nine microalgal species, 19 species are belong Cyanophyta, 26 belong Chlorophyta and 24 belong Bacillariophyta. Genus Scenedesmus (Chlorophyta) was the most abundant in the study area (13 species), followed by Genus Oscillatoria (9 species) and Genus Navicula (7 species). Nostoc muscorum and Chlorella vulgaris were the most common and recorded in all sites (100% of the locations) under study. The application of the two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended correspondence analysis revealed agglomerating of 4 groups (communities) at 4th level of classification and reasonable segregation between these groups. Zinc, cadmium and lead were showed the highest levels (0.26±0.03, 0.26±0.06, and 0.17±0.01 ppm, respectively). Conclusions: The correlation analysis between water and community variables indicated a high negative correlation of total algae richness with nickel (r = -0.936, p < 0.01). Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta were correlated negatively (r = -0.842, p < 0.01). However, Chlorophyta showed a negative richness with each of Ni and Pb (r = -0.965, -0.873, respectively) on one hand and a high positive correlation was revealed (r = 0.964) with all environmental variables on the other hand.

• 환경생물
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.273-278
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• 2004

A taxonomic survey of the dinoflagellate family, Triadiniaceae Dodge was conducted on 17 locations off the coast of Korea. Three species of Goniodoma collected from the coast of Korea: Goniodoma orientale Lindemann, G. polyedricum (Pouchet) Jorgensen, and G. sphaericum Murray et Whiting.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.377-389
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• 2018

In this study, a novel microalgal strain, Desmodesmus sp. KAERI-NJ5, was isolated, identified, and evaluated as a candidate for biodiesel feedstock. In a preliminary study, the effects of four general microalgal growth factors, including temperature, pH, light intensity, and concentration of nitrogen source ($KNO_3$), on the microalgal photoautotrophic growth were evaluated. With the exception of light intensity, the growth factors needed to be optimized for the microalgal biomass production. Optimization was done using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions for biomass production were pH 6.54, $27.66^{\circ}C$, and 0.52 g/l $KNO_3$. The biomass production at the optimal conditions was 1.55 g/l, which correlated well with the predicted value of 1.5 g/l. The total lipid and fatty acid methyl ester contents of the cells grown at the optimal conditions were 49% and 21.2% of cell dry weight, respectively. To increase the lipid content of the biomass, microalgae were challenged by nitrogen starvation. Enhancement of total lipid and fatty acid content up to 52.02% and 49%, respectively, were observed. Lipid analysis of the nitrogen-starved cells revealed that C16 and C18 species accounted for 95.9% of the total fatty acids. Among them, palmitic acid (46.17%) and oleic acid (39.43%) dominantly constituted the algal fatty acids. These results suggest Desmodesmus sp. KAERI-NJ5 as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.167-173
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• 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) disrupt the cellular redox balance, exert cytotoxic effects, and consequently promote the development of various diseases in humans. Previous studies have reported that antioxidants counteract the adverse effects of ROS. Several studies examine the whitening effects of various agents based on their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Tyrosinase is a critical enzyme involved in the synthesis of melanin, which protects the skin against radiation. Various agents exhibiting antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities have been synthesized. However, these synthetic drugs are associated with toxicity, decreased safety, and poor skin penetration in vivo, which has limited the clinical application of synthetic drugs. This study examined the antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of some microalgae. The methanol, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate extracts of four microalgal species (Tetraselmis tetrathele, Dunaliella tertiolecta, Platymonas sp., and Chaetoceros simplex) were prepared. The physiological and whitening effects of microalgal extracts were investigated by measuring the antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. The ethyl acetate extract of D. tertiolecta exhibited the highest antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. Future studies must focus on examining the whitening effects of microalgae on cell lines to facilitate the development of microalga-based therapeutics for skin diseases, functional health foods, and whitening agents. Thus, microalgae have potential applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• 제8권6호
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• pp.331-337
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• 2003

Unicellular green algae of the genus Dunaliella thrive in extreme environmental conditions such as high salinity, low pH, high irradiance and subzero temperatures. Species of Dunaliella are well known in the alga biotechnological industry and are employed widely for the production of valuable biochemicals, such as carotenoids. Some strains of Dunaliella are cultivated commercially in large outdoor ponds and are harvested to produce dry algal meals, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and oils for the health food industry, and coloring agents for the food and cosmetic industries. During the past decade, the advances in molecular biology and biochemistry of microalgae, along with the advances in biotechnology of microalgal mass cultivation, enabled this microalga to become a staple of commercial exploitation. In particular, the advent of molecular biology and mutagenesis in Dunaliella has permitted enhancements in the carotenoids content of this green alga, making it more attractive for biotechnological applications. Accordingly, the present review summarizes the recent developments and advances in biotechnology of carotenoid production in Dunaliella.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.529-535
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• 2002

Efffcts of physico-chemical factors on the zonation and vertical distribution of benthic microalgal communities in the tidal flats of Youngkwang and Canaiin, Korea, were studied. Concentrations of nutrients were low throughout the study period. A 38 species of benthic microaigae was identified. Most of the algae were pennate diatoms with small size. Cell numbers at silty sediments were higher than sandy sediments, and showed high patchy distribution. Zonal distributions of benthic microalgae showed higher variation from silty sediment than sandy sediments. Benthic microalgae showed vertical migration within the upper few mm of sediment with periodicity closely related to tidal cycles. Maximum cells were observed from 0 mm depth both sandy and silty sediments. Cells of benthic microalgae in the 1 - 2 mm depth decreased after desiccation of sediments. The variation of cells was higher at sandy sediments than silty sediments. Cell numbers of benthic microalgae showed no positive relationships with pH and nutrinets except NH$_4$-N.

• ALGAE
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.229-234
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• 2007

This study was to determine the extent of bacteria contamination and resistance to various antibiotics used commonly in microalgal culture. Seven different dose levels of chloramphenicol, dihydrostreptomycin sulphate, neomycin, penicillin G, streptomycin sulphate, penicillin G + streptomycin sulphate, and penicillin G + streptomycin sulphate + chloramphenicol were added to each culture of microalgae. The lethal effects on microalgae and bacteria were the highest in chloramphenicol and the lowest in penicillin G. The axenic culture of bacillariophyceae and dinophyceae was more difficult than that of chlorophyceae and haptophyceae because of their complicate external morphology. The efficient antibiotics and their concentrations for axenic cultures varied with microalgal species. The optimum quantity for antibiotic treatments were 2,000 ppm of dihydrostreptomycin for Chlorella ellipsoidea, neomycin 500 ppm of Isochrysis galbana and Heterosigma ahashiwo, hloramphenicol 500 ppm of Cyclotella didymus, and dihydrostreptomycin sulphate and neomycin 6,000 ppm of Thalassiosira allenii.

• 한국환경생태학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.743-752
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• 2015

본 연구에서는 2014년 2월부터 11월까지 전북 고창의 하전 해수와 갯벌 표면의 식물플랑크톤과 저서규조 및 그 서식환경의 시공간적 변화를 조사하였다. 해수에서는 2월부터 10월까지 매월 식물플랑크톤 현존량, 종조성과 개체수 및 환경요인을 측정하였는데, 식물플랑크톤 엽록소 ${\alpha}$ 농도와 개체수는 2월에 가장 높았고 규조가 우점군이었으며 총 113종이 출현하였다. 저서규조 및 그 서식환경인 표층퇴적물에 관한 연구는 하전리 측선에서 간조 시에 계절별(2, 5, 8, 11월)로 각 9개의 정점에서 실시하였다. 표층퇴적물은 주로 사질실트와 사질니로 이루어졌으며, 유기물 오염도는 낮게 나타났다. 저서미세조류 생물량(엽록소 ${\alpha}$)은 봄과 여름에 높게 나타났다. 저서규조는 총 163종이 출현했으며 Navicula sp.1과 Paralia sulcata 두 종이 우점하였다. 해수와 저서 표층에서 동일시기에 출현한 종은 5종으로 관찰되었다.

• 환경생물
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.526-534
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• 2019

Chlorella gloriosa (Chlorellaceae, Trebouxiophyceae) was isolated from seawater off the coast of the Dokdo Islands in Korea. An axenic culture was established using the streak-plate method on f/2 agar media supplemented with antibiotics, allowing identification of the isolate by morphological, molecular, and physiological analyses. The morphological characteristics observed by light and electron microscopy revealed typical morphologies of C. gloriosa species. The molecular phylogenetic inference drawn from the small-subunit 18S rRNA sequence verified that the microalgal strain belongs to C. gloriosa. Additionally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that the isolate was rich in nutritionally important omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the high-value antioxidants lutein and violaxanthin were biosynthesized as accessory pigments by this microalga, with arabinose, galactose, and glucose as the major monosaccharides. Therefore, in this study, a Korean marine C. gloriosa species was discovered, characterized, and described, and subsequently added to the national culture collection.