Continuous culture methodology for the screening of microalgae for oil

A basic criterion in the selection of microalgae suitable as source of oil for biodiesel should be their actual capacity to produce lipids or, more properly, the fatty acid yield. Performance assessment of ten preselected microalgae under both batch and continuous culture points to the latter approach as the most adequate for evaluating fatty acid productivity. Differences were patent in continuous culture among strains that otherwise had analogous oil accumulation potential under batch culture. Some promising strains under batch culture (like Muriella aurantiaca and Monoraphidium braunii) exhibited, however, values for actual fatty acid productivity lower than 40 mg L-1d-1 in continuous regime. The analysis performed in photochemostat under continuous culture regime revealed the great potential of Chlorococcum olefaciens, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Scenedesmus almeriensis as oil producing microalgae. Fatty acid productivity levels over 90 mg L-1d-1 were recorded for the latter strains under moderate nitrogen limitation, conditions which led to an enrichment in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, a more suitable profile as raw material for biodiesel. The continuous culture methodology employed represents a sound procedure for screening microalgae for biofuel production, providing a reliable evaluation of their fatty acid production capacity, under conditions close to those of outdoor production systemsEspaña MCINN Project CTQ2008-06741-CO2-02/PP

Avances en supervisión educativa

Colaboradores: Facultad de Bellas Artes del CES. “Felipe II” de Aranjuez: alumnos de dicha Facultad y los siguientes profesores: Juan Gallego Garrido, Antonio Vigo Pérez, Mª Jesús Hita González, Francisco Giner Sierra y Yolanda García Quílez. Fundación Genoma España. Empresa Vita-Aidelos. David Ruiz (producción en vídeo)Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónDesde hace seis años, entre 2006 y 2012, un grupo de profesores de diferentes áreas ha venido configurando en el Instituto de Educación Secundaria (IES) ALPAJÉS de Aranjuez un estilo de trabajo basado en la introducción de la metodología de trabajo por proyectos en Secundaria. Este sistema de trabajo, tan querido en Infantil y Primaria, apenas se presenta en Secundaria y menos como eje conductor de diferentes materias en el marco de una actuación interdisciplinar. En este sentido, se aporta información (objetivos, metodología, recursos y actividades) sobre un proyecto de trabajo de carácter interdisciplinar, “Mooh!nstruos”, concebido para investigar sobre el miedo. Se concluye con una valoración de esta experiencia pedagógica.ES