Abstract
It was found that immobilization of cells in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cryogel can be successfully applied for concurrent cryoimmobilization, cryoconservation and long-term storage of the cells of various phototrophic microorganisms (green and red microalgae, diatoms and cyanobacteria). For the first time, it was shown for 12 different immobilized microalgal cells that they can be stored frozen for at least 18 months while retaining a high level of viability (90%), and can further be used as an inoculum upon defrosting for cell-free biomass accumulation. Application of cryoimmobilized Chlorella vulgaris cells as inocula allowed the loading of a high concentration of the microalgal cells into the media for free biomass accumulation, thus increasing the rate of the process. It was shown that as minimum of 5 cycles of reuse of the same immobilized cells as inocula for cell accumulation could be realized when various real wastewater samples were applied as media for simultaneous microalgae cultivation and water purification.
Highlights
For the first time, it was shown for 12 different immobilized microalgal cells that they can be stored frozen for at least 18 months while retaining a high level of viability (90%), and can further be used as an inoculum upon defrosting for cell-free biomass accumulation
The effect of immobilization in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cryogel was tested on the surviving chlorella cells, and if successful, it was decided to switch to using the same cryopreservation method for other phototrophs
To estimate the potential applicability of the cryoimmobilization technique to the different microalgal species, this approach was applied to 12 phototrophic microorganisms (Table 1)
Summary
It was shown for 12 different immobilized microalgal cells that they can be stored frozen for at least 18 months while retaining a high level of viability (90%), and can further be used as an inoculum upon defrosting for cell-free biomass accumulation. Of particular interest are processes based on the use of microalgae and cyanobacteria for the purification of industrial, agricultural and domestic wastewater, with further processing of the accumulated biomass of phototrophic microorganisms acting as a source of bio-renewable raw materials [7]. At the same time, such strings serve as an excellent medium for the cultivation of phototrophic cells, allowing the maintenance of mixotrophic conditions, enhancing the growth rate of the microalgal cells [8] This allows both a reduction in the cost of biomass production and the solving of several ecological issues of wastewater treatment, which is, in turn, a part of the successful solving of the general tasks of sustainable environmental development.
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