Botryococcus braunii an unusual hydrocarbon-producing alga

Abstract

The colonial green algaBotryococcus braunii has been proposed as a source of renewable liquid fuel principally because of its ability to accumulate large quantities of hydrocarbon and form prodigious natural blooms. A curious feature of the alga is that the type of hydrocarbon produced is apparently related to physiological status. Active state colonies produce unbranched olefins (largely C27:2, C29:2, C29:3, and C31:2) that have been reported to comprise up to 32% of the dry weight. In contrast, resting state colonies produce unusual branched olefins (general formula CnH2n−10;n=30–37) that appear to be of terpenoid origin. This “botryococcene fraction” has been shown to comprise from 27 to 86% of the dry weight in natural collections.