• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.732-738
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• 2018

Novel carbon-based solid acid catalysts were synthesized through a sustainable route from lipid-extracted microalgal residue of Dunaliella tertiolecta, for biodiesel production. Two carbon-based solid acid catalysts were prepared by surface modification of bio-char with sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$) and sulfuryl chloride ($SO_2Cl_2$), respectively. The treated catalysts were characterized and their catalytic activities were evaluated by esterification of oleic acid. The esterification catalytic activity of the $SO_2Cl_2$-treated bio-char was higher ($11.5mmol\;Prod.{\cdot}h^{-1}{\cdot}gCat.\;^{-1}$) than that of commercial catalyst silica-supported Nafion SAC-13 ($2.3mmol\;Prod.{\cdot}h^{-1}{\cdot}gCat.^{-1}$) and $H_2SO_4$-treated bio-char ($5.7mmol\;Prod.{\cdot}h^{-1}{\cdot}gCat.^{-1}$). Reusability of the catalysts was examined. The catalytic activity of the $SO_2Cl_2$-modified catalyst was sustained from the second run after the initial activity dropped after the first run and kept the same activity until the fifth run. It was higher than that of first-used Nafion. These experimental results demonstrate that catalysts from lipid-extracted algae have great potential for the economic and environment-friendly production of biodiesel.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

A eukaryotic microalga was isolated from seawater in Janghang Harbor, Korea and its morphological, molecular, and physiological characteristics were investigated. Due to its simple morphology, no distinctive characters were found by morphological observation, such as light microscope or scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM). However, molecular phylogenetic evidence inferred from the concatenated small subunit (SSU) 18S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data indicated that the isolate belonged to the newly described Micractinium singularis. Furthermore, it was clustered with Antarctic Micractinium strains and it also showed a psychrotolerant property, surviving at temperatures as low as 5℃. However, its optimal growth temperatures range from 15℃ to 25℃, indicating that this microalga is a mesophile. Additionally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed that the isolate was rich in nutritionally important omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC) revealed that the high-value antioxidant lutein was biosynthesized as an accessory pigment by this microalga, with glucose as the major monosaccharide. Therefore, in this study, a Korean marine M. singularis species was discovered, characterized, and described. It was subsequently added to the national culture collections.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1325-1334
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• 2022

Global warming has accelerated in recent decades due to the continuous consumption of petroleum-based fuels. Cyanobacteria-derived biofuels are a promising carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels that may help achieve a cleaner environment. Here, we propose an effective strategy based on the large-scale cultivation of a newly isolated cyanobacterial strain to produce phycobiliprotein and biodiesel, thus demonstrating the potential commercial applicability of the isolated microalgal strain. A native cyanobacterium was isolated from Goryeong, Korea, and identified as Pseudanabaena mucicola GO0704 through 16s RNA analysis. The potential exploitation of P. mucicola GO0704 was explored by analyzing several parameters for mixotrophic culture, and optimal growth was achieved through the addition of sodium acetate (1 g/l) to the BG-11 medium. Next, the cultures were scaled up to a stirred-tank bioreactor in mixotrophic conditions to maximize the productivity of biomass and metabolites. The biomass, phycobiliprotein, and fatty acids concentrations in sodium acetate-treated cells were enhanced, and the highest biodiesel productivity (8.1 mg/l/d) was achieved at 96 h. Finally, the properties of the fuel derived from P. mucicola GO0704 were estimated with converted biodiesels according to the composition of fatty acids. Most of the characteristics of the final product, except for the cloud point, were compliant with international biodiesel standards [ASTM 6761 (US) and EN 14214 (Europe)].

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.282-291
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• 2022

Since the efficiency of wastewater treatment using microalgae differs depending on the metabolic characteristics of the species, it is important to understand the characteristics of target algae prior to the application in wastewater treatment. In this study, for the application of Arthrospira platensis to wastewater treatment, which is a filamentous alkaliphilic cyanobacteria, basic species specificity was identified and the possibility of application to wastewater treatment was investigated. As a result of the species specificity investigation, the specific growth rate between pH 7.0 and 11.0 showed the highest value near pH 9 at 0.25/day. The reason for the relatively low growth(0.08/day) at pH 11 was thought to be the CA(carbonic anhydrase) enzyme that is involved in carbon fixation during photosynthesis has the highest activity at pH 8.0 to 9.0, and at pH 11, CA activity was relatively low. In addition, A. platensis showed optimal growth at 400 PPFD(photosynthetic photon flux density) and 30℃, and this means that cyanobacteria such as A. platensis have a larger number of PS-I(photosystem I) than that of PS-II(photosystem II). It was speculated that it was because higher light intensity and temperature were required to sufficiently generate electrons to transfer to PS-I. Regarding the applicability of A. platensis, it was suggested that if a system using the synergistic effect of co-culture of A. platensis and bacteria was developed, a more efficient system would be possible. And different from single cocci, filamentous A. platensis expected to have a positive impact on harvesting, which is very important in the latter part of the wastewater treatment process.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4086-4092
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• 2013

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are UV-absorbing substances, and diverse marine organisms have the evolved the capacity to diminished the direct and indirect damaging effects of environmental ultraviolet radiation by synthesis and accumulation of MAAs. In this study, we manufactured a radiofrequency (RF) generation device and applied to microalgal culture. $0.35{\pm}0.05$ mHz of RF was supplied to culture vessel for Chlamydomonas sp. and samples were harvested at the designated time intervals (1, 0.5, 1 and 2 hr). MAAs biosynthetic genes, dehydroquinate synthase homolog (DHQS-like) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase homolog (NRPS-like), were cloned from Chlamydomonas sp. and their gene expressions under the RF exposure were analyzed using qRT-PCR. DHQS-like and NRPS-like gene expressions of Chlamydomonas sp. exposed to RF were increased 1.46 and 1.19 fold at 1 hr, respectively. These results means that DHQS-like and NRPS-like genes can be good biomarker candidates for diagnosis of MAAs biosynthesis in the Chlamydomonas sp.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.328-336
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• 2020

Parachlorella sp. is an efficient fatty acid producer that can be used in the production of biofuels, feeds, and fertilizers. Microalgae show varying responses to culture conditions, even those within the same species. In this study, growth and fatty acid composition of a newly isolated Parachlorella sp. from the Nakdong river of Korea in different culture media were investigated. The microalga was cultivated in 400 ml bubble column photobioreactors using BG-11, BBM, TAP, and modified TAP (MTAP) media. It was shown that using BBM led to greater fatty acid accumulation (34%), while using TAP medium led to greater biomass productivity (0.34 g/l/day). Composition of the TAP medium was modified to have the N:P ratio of BBM while also varying concentrations of N and P to improve fatty acid productivity. One of the modified TAP media, MTAP-1 (104.8 mgN/l, 135.2 mgP/l, N:P ratio = 0.77), showed the highest fatty acid concentration of 0.69 ± 0.04 g/l, while those from TAP and BBM were 0.48 ± 0.06 g/l and 0.40 ± 0.02 g/l, respectively. The results showed that microalgal fatty acid productivity could be enhanced by changing the N:P ratio and concentrations.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2013

Although the method of seedling production of Haliotis discus hannai is well known, the optimum benthic diatom species as a live food at early larval stage are not fully developed. In this study three Pennales diatom species, Caloneis schroederi, Rhaphoneis sp., and Cocconeis californica were examined on settlement, metamorphosis, survival, and growth of Haliotis discus hannai larvae. The larvae fed Raphoneis sp. or C. californica showed high settlement rate with 80-82% within 48 hrs, which was significantly higher than those fed C. schroederi or mixed diets with three diatom species. The larvae fed the former microalgal species also showed higher metamorphosis rate with 32-34% than the latter species with 10-12% within 4 days. With regard to survival and growth of the larvae, single diet with Rhaphoneis sp. or C. californica had better dietary value than the mixed diets for the early larvae of H. discus hannai.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.654-658
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• 1999

To investigate an efficient microalgal feed for lariat culture of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, we prepared three types of Isochrysis aff, galbana (T-iso) : 1) freshly Harvested feed, 2) concentrated feed and 3) freeze-dried feed. The chemical compositions and fatty acid content of these feeds were evaluated and survival rate and lipid content of oyster larvae fed by these feeds were also determined. There was no significant difference in all types of feed in the gross biochemical compositions, In the fatty acid composition, the freeze-dried feed showed a significant increase in the level of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than freshly Harvested feed, especially EPA was 7.35-fold higher than freshly Harvested feed. The survival rate of the oyster larvae was the highest when the larvae were fed with a diet of $10\%$ freeze-dried and $90\%$ concentrated feed; it was 2.1-fold higher than that fed with freshly Harvested food alone. Thereafter, the survival rate decreased with the increased substitutions of freeze-dried food, finally equalling that fed $100\%$ freshly harvested feed at the $30\%$ substitution. Larval lipid content of the oyster was also the highest when the larvae were fed with a diet of $10\%$ freeze-dried and $90\%$ concentrated feed. This increase was by 1.6-fold ver that fed $100\%$ freshly Harvested cells. Thus feed produced during slack times, on a seedling aquaculture farm, and preparedas a freeze-dried diet can be used, mixed with concentrated feed, to supply diets more efficiently and to improve the larvae survival rate of Pacific oyster.