Medium's conductivity and stage of growth as crucial parameters for efficient hydrocarbon extraction by electric field from colonial micro-algae

Abstract

The green algae Botryococcus braunii produces a high amount of extracellular hydrocarbon, making it a promising algae in the field of bio-fuels production. As it mainly produces squalene like hydrocarbons, cosmetic industries are also interested in its milking. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) are an innovative method allowing oil extraction from micro-algae.In common algae accumulating hydrocarbon inside cytoplasm (Chlorella vulgaris, Nannochloropsis sp., etc), electric fields can destroy cell membranes, allowing the release of hydrocarbon. However, for B.braunii, hydrocarbons adhere to the cell wall outside of cells as a matrix. In a previous article we reported that electric fields can unstick cells from a matrix, allowing hydrocarbon harvesting.In this work, we deeper investigated this phenomenon of cell hatching by following 2 parameters: the conductivity of the medium and the cultivation duration of the culture. Cell hatching is accurately evaluated by both microscopic and macroscopic observations.For high conductivity and a short time of cultivation, almost no effect is observed even after up to 1000 PEF pulses are submitted to the cells. While lower conductivity and a longer cultivation period allow strong cell hatching after 200 PEF pulses are applied to the cells.We identify 2 new crucial parameters, able to turn the method from inefficient to very efficient. It might help companies to save energy and money in case of mass production.