Maximizing biomass and lipid production in Ettlia sp. by ultraviolet stress in a continuous culture

Abstract

Lipid production in microalgae can be induced by various stress factors. However, stress induced lipid accumulation requires considerable time leading to the decrease in lipid productivity. Here, we attempted to increase the lipid productivity while maintaining the high growth of Ettlia sp. by optimizing nitrogen concentration and UV exposure in a continuous culture. The biomass and lipid productivities of Ettlia sp. cultured with 150 mg N L -1 and UV-A added PAR were 1.67 ± 0.08 g L -1 d -1 and 0.55 ± 0.05 g L -1 d -1, respectively. Lipid productivity and lipid content were around 43.7% and 33.7% higher, respectively in UV-A treatment compared to the control. Moreover, gene-expression patterns related to antioxidant defense and intracellular ROS levels indicated that UV-A affected certain ROS and antioxidants pathways and successfully induced the lipid accumulation in Ettlia sp. This strategy to activate lipid accumulation can be applied in other microalgae without affecting their growth.