Implementing Nutrient Deprivation to Increase Lipid Production in Nannochloropsis Oculata

Problem and Goals

Can going through nutrient deprivation to increase lipid production in Nannochloropsis Oculata. While Algae biofuel is available, it is produced in small amounts for high prices virtually making it a failure as an alternative form of fuel. In order to mass produce a sustainable amount of biofuel from the least amount of algae, we have to increase the amount of lipids each algal cell can create. According to research done on “fat super accumulation”, when the body is starved for a period, the next time it gets food it will be sent into a “survival mode” and store more body fats in order to prepare itself for its next period of starvation. If we can apply this to Nannochloropsis Oculata, we hope that it would cause the algal cells to produce more lipids compared to normal levels. If we can manipulate the algal cells to produce and store more lipids by sending it into a survival mode, than theoretically we can harvest more lipids for biofuel from the least amount of cells.

Procedure

1. Fill a 2 ½ gallon fish tank to the top with distilled water.

2. Grow a base amount of Nannochloropsis Oculata in a 2 ½ gallon fish tank using 10 mL of Nannochloropsis Oculata sample and a 1 mL sample of Miracle-gro.

3. After a sufficient amount of algae has grown, take a sample of roughly 400 mL of algae from the tank and put the sample into an Erlenmeyer flask.

4. Using the mass spectrometer, set to 645 nm (wavelength) then gather a sample of the algae and record the data

5. Create a “black out box” that blocks out all sources of light from entering into the box. Insert the flask into the box to deprive it from light and nutrients.

6. Observe the sample each day by measuring the cell count using the mass spectrometer. When cell count begins to depreciate, this amount of time will be used for our starvation period. If data is incomprehensible, study the algae cell shape using a microscope (round-circular shape will display a living organism, as for a rippled shape will display the probability of a dead algae cell)

7. Dispose of sample used to figure out the starvation period and then split the base amount into two other tanks, making a total of three tanks of Nannochloropsis Oculata. Fill the tanks back up to the top with distilled water and wait for algae to reproduce again and fill up the tanks.

8. Three tanks set up: first tank is the “constant” where we let it grow naturally with natural nutrients. Second tank will include an “old fashioned stressor” by only removing sources of light. The third tank will include two stressors by removing carbon from the sample and eliminating sources of light.

9. Over time allow the algae to starve. Then before starving to death, over feed the algae samples and then over starve the algae. Repeat this process for three cycles.

10. Using the centrifuge to extract the lipids from the algae, set the centrifuge to 5000 rpm. Each sample of algae used in the centrifuge should remain constant in order