Hydrocarbon production of Botryococcus braunii race B under varying culture conditions
Open Access
Author:
Lind, Michael
Area of Honors:
Chemical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Wayne Roger Curtis, Thesis Supervisor Scott Thomas Milner, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Algae Biofuel Methylation PAR Triterpenes Axenic
Abstract:
There is ongoing effort in the scientific community to develop a method for converting algae biomass into a usable and renewable fuel source. One of the requirements for developing this sustainable fossil fuel alternative is identifying an algae species that produces algal oil suitable for conversion to biofuel. Botryococcus braunii, a colony alga, has been identified as a candidate strain due to its accumulation of hydrocarbons in an extracellular matrix surrounding the colonies. CurtisLab, a bioprocess design and optimization laboratory, maintains an axenic line of B. braunii. This project aims to utilize this axenic culture to optimize the methylation of hydrocarbons and identify methyltransferase genes within the extracellular matrix of B. braunii by altering culture conditions, in collaboration with previously conducted studies.
