From literature to learning : understanding design process in landscape architecture education

Det finnes ingen fasit for designprosessen i landskapsarkitektur. Det finnes derimot en stor mengde litteratur og erfaringskunnskap. Kjernekompetansen til landskapsarkitekten er design. Utdannelsen skal lære studentene til å utvikle landskap som ivaretar ulike funksjonelle og estetiske krav. Design omfatter både denne prosessen og resultatet. Derfor er det viktig å fokusere på begge deler i utdannelsesløpet. Denne masteroppgaven forsøker å belyse forskjellene i forståelsen av designprosessen mellom studenter og faglitteraturen. Dette gjøres gjennom en undersøkelse av litteratur innen landskapsarkitektur, profesjonsutdannelse, og design. Deretter presenteres intervjuer av studenter på landskapsarkitekturstudiet ved NMBU. Oppgaven avsluttes med en drøftende del som ser disse datagrunnlagene mot hverandre. Resultatet av oppgaven peker på at studentene i landskapsarkitektur ved NMBU har en noe annen forståelse enn det vi finner i faglitteraturen. Dette gjelder spesielt forståelsen av prosessen som noe dynamisk og plastisk etter de behov hvert prosjekt gir. Studentenes fagspråk blir heller ikke kvalitetssikret, som resulterer i ulike begrepsforståelser blant studentene.There is no right answer for the design process in landscape architecture. There is, on the other hand, a large amount of literature and experiential knowledge within the field. The core competence of the landscape architect is design. Through education students learn to develop landscapes that meet different functional and aesthetic requirements. Design includes both the process and result. Therefore, it is important to focus on both during education. This master's thesis attempts to shed light on the differences between students and the academic literature in their understanding of the design process. This is done through a study of literature in landscape architecture, professional education, and design. Interviews of students in the landscape architecture program at NMBU are then presented. In the end these data are evaluated against each other and discussed. The result of the thesis indicates that the students in landscape architecture at NMBU have a somewhat different understanding than what we find in the literature. This especially applies to the understanding of the process as something dynamic according to the needs of each project. The students' professional language is also not quality assured, which results in different conceptual understandings among the students.M-L

Metabolic pathways for biosynthesis and degradation of starch in Tetraselmis chui during nitrogen deprivation and recovery

Tetraselmis chui is known to accumulate starch when subjected to stress. This phenomenon is widely studied for the purpose of industrial production and process development. Yet, knowledge about the metabolic pathways involved is still immature. Hence, in this study, transcription of 27 starch-related genes was monitored under nitrogen deprivation and resupply in 25 L tubular photobioreactors. T. chui proved to be an efficient starch producer under nitrogen deprivation, accumulating starch up to 56% of relative biomass content. The prolonged absence of nitrogen led to an overall down-regulation of the tested genes, in most instances maintained even after nitrogen replenishment when starch was actively degraded. These gene expression patterns suggest post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms play a key role in T. chui under nutrient stress. Finally, the high productivity combined with an efficient recovery after nitrogen restitution makes this species a suitable candidate for industrial production of high-starch biomass.Metabolic pathways for biosynthesis and degradation of starch in Tetraselmis chui during nitrogen deprivation and recoverypublishedVersio

Starch-Rich Microalgae as an Active Ingredient in Beer Brewing

Microalgal biomass is widely studied for its possible application in food and human nutrition due to its multiple potential health benefits, and to address raising sustainability concerns. An interesting field whereby to further explore the application of microalgae is that of beer brewing, due to the capacity of some species to accumulate large amounts of starch under specific growth conditions. The marine species Tetraselmis chui is a well-known starch producer, and was selected in this study for the production of biomass to be explored as an active ingredient in beer brewing. Cultivation was performed under nitrogen deprivation in 250 L tubular photobioreactors, producing a biomass containing 50% starch. The properties of high-starch microalgal biomass in a traditional mashing process were then assessed to identify critical steps and challenges, test the efficiency of fermentable sugar release, and develop a protocol for small-scale brewing trials. Finally, T. chui was successfully integrated at a small scale into the brewing process as an active ingredient, producing microalgae-enriched beer containing up to 20% algal biomass. The addition of microalgae had a noticeable effect on the beer properties, resulting in a product with distinct sensory properties. Regulation of pH proved to be a key parameter in the process.Starch-Rich Microalgae as an Active Ingredient in Beer BrewingpublishedVersio

Integrating microalgae production with anaerobic digestion: a biorefinery approach

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Uggetti, E. , Sialve, B. , Trably, E. and Steyer, J. (2014), Integrating microalgae production with anaerobic digestion: a biorefinery approach. Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref, 8: 516-529. doi:10.1002/bbb.1469], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1469. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-ArchivingIn the energy and chemical sectors, alternative production chains should be considered in order to simultaneously reduce the dependence on oil and mitigate climate change. Biomass is probably the only viable alternative to fossil resources for production of liquid transportation fuels and chemicals since, besides fossils, it is one of the only available sources of carbon-rich material on Earth. Over recent years, interest in microalgae biomass has grown in both fundamental and applied research fields. The biorefinery concept includes different technologies able to convert biomass into added-value chemicals, products (food and feed) and biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen). As in oil refinery, a biorefinery aims at producing multiple products, maximizing the value derived from differences in biomass components, including microalgae. This paper provides an overview of the various microalgae-derived products, focusing on anaerobic digestion for conversion of microalgal biomass into methane. Special attention is paid to the range of possible inputs for anaerobic digestion (microalgal biomass and microalgal residue after lipid extraction) and the outputs resulting from the process (e.g. biogas and digestate). The strong interest in microalgae anaerobic digestion lies in its ability to mineralize microalgae containing organic nitrogen and phosphorus, resulting in a flux of ammonium and phosphate that can then be used as substrate for growing microalgae or that can be further processed to produce fertilizers. At present, anaerobic digestion outputs can provide nutrients, CO2 and water to cultivate microalgae, which in turn, are used as substrate for methane and fertilizer generation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Analytical approaches to photobiological hydrogen production in unicellular green algae

Several species of unicellular green algae, such as the model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, can operate under either aerobic photosynthesis or anaerobic metabolism conditions. A particularly interesting metabolic condition is that of “anaerobic oxygenic photosynthesis”, whereby photosynthetically generated oxygen is consumed by the cell’s own respiration, causing anaerobiosis in the culture in the light, and induction of the cellular “hydrogen metabolism” process. The latter entails an alternative photosynthetic electron transport pathway, through the oxygen-sensitive FeFe-hydrogenase, leading to the light-dependent generation of molecular hydrogen in the chloroplast. The FeFe-hydrogenase is coupled to the reducing site of photosystem-I via ferredoxin and is employed as an electron-pressure valve, through which electrons are dissipated, thus permitting a sustained electron transport in the thylakoid membrane of photosynthesis. This hydrogen gas generating process in the cells offers testimony to the unique photosynthetic metabolism that can be found in many species of green microalgae. Moreover, it has attracted interest by the biotechnology and bioenergy sectors, as it promises utilization of green microalgae and the process of photosynthesis in renewable energy production. This article provides an overview of the principles of photobiological hydrogen production in microalgae and addresses in detail the process of induction and analysis of the hydrogen metabolism in the cells. Furthermore, methods are discussed by which the interaction of photosynthesis, respiration, cellular metabolism, and H(2) production in Chlamydomonas can be monitored and regulated

Use of algae technology for production of biohydrogen from green microalgae: Possibilities for a practical sustainable process and diversity at both species selection, culturing and gene transcript levels

Algae technology represents an extensive research field which has developed rapidly over the last decades. The research activities extend from algae cultivation including CO2 capture, production of commercial products such as health food, aquaculture and animal feed, production of valuable metabolites, to conversion of solar energy into energy carriers like biohydrogen or biodiesel. A combination of several aspects of algae technology into a multidisciplinary process is proposed in this work. Valuable metabolites produced by algae include for example carotenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, glycerol, components with medical activities and a number of antioxidants. Many of these are secondary metabolites produced as a response to different forms of environmental stress, and they may function as protection mechanisms to avoid damage to the cells. Biohydrogen from green microalgae is an expanding field which has made great progress through the last decade. By exposing some species of algae to environmental stress, e.g. by depriving the algae of sulfur in light, it is possible to produce significant amounts of hydrogen gas. However, this technology is still in its infancy, and there is significant potential for technology development and improvement at every level. In this study, the possibility of producing hydrogen from solar energy by using green microalgae is explored at species selection-, culturing- and gene transcription levels. It is demonstrated that there is a considerable number of species currently known to have potential for hydrogen production, and the same is true for production of valuable metabolites. The effects of different stress reactions on production of the valuable components are described, along with the purpose of their production. This knowledge can be used to evaluate the possibilities for producing hydrogen and high value products efficiently in the same process. Hydrogen production under sulfur deprivation is explored in several species of green algae under controlled conditions, and Chlamydomonas noctigama shows the ability to produce hydrogen with efficiency comparable to the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The ability to produce hydrogen under sulfur deprivation is also explored in relation to the different species’ ability to show heterotrophic or mixotrophic growth on acetate. A photobioreactor specifically designed for algae hydrogen production is described for lab scale research purposes, including considerations for measurement devices and materials choice. Hydrogen production by the algae C. noctigama is further explored at molecular level. By using RT-PCR followed by PCR with degenerate primers, mRNA with homology towards green algal hydrogenases was identified. The cDNA sequences were translated to putative amino acid sequences, and analyzed in respect to amino acids characteristic for green algal hydrogenases and amino acids which share characteristics with both hydrogenases and narf-like proteins. These results were used to evaluate the identification of the mRNA sequences found in C. noctigama. While other green algae have been shown to contain two different hydrogenases, it is here demonstrated that C. noctigama is able to transcribe three distinct genes which share essential characteristics with hydrogenases. The combination of these results provides valuable insights at several levels of a combined process for production of biohydrogen and other valuable products. Further studies of these topics may result in a sustainable process where solar energy can be converted into hydrogen in an integrated manner, where production efficiencies are sufficient for an economic exploitation of algal technology using algal stress reactions

Mikroalgers potensial som proteinkilde i fôr til storfe og gris. Selvberging i den nye bioøkonomien

Behovet for vegetabilsk protein til dyrefôr i norsk landbruk, blir per i dag ikke dekket av norskprodusert protein, og norsk kjøtt og melkeproduksjon er i dag avhengig av import. Totalt er 44% av ingrediensene til norsk kraftfôr importert, og import utgjør 93% av proteininnholdet. Mikroalger har høyere proteininnhold enn både tradisjonelle og alternative vegetabilske proteinkilder, og har i tillegg høyt innhold av andre næringsstoff som vitaminer, mineraler, flerumettede fettsyrer og antioksidanter. Næringsinnhold vil variere mye mellom artene, og i mange tilfeller kan næringssammensetningen styres med bruk av dyrkingsbetingelser. Forsøk med mikroalger som fôrkilde til storfe, gris og andre husdyr, har gitt gode resultater mht fôraksept, fôropptak, fordøyelighet, veksthastighet, totalvekt, fertilitet, melkeproduksjon, og proteininnhold i melk. Mikroalger blir i dag produsert kommersielt mange ulike steder i verden, og det meste blir solgt som dyrefôr eller helsekost. Det har vært mye forskning innen reaktorteknologi for produksjon av mikroalger de siste tiårene, og mange varianter av fotobioreaktorer har vært utprøvd. Algedyrking på norske gårdsbruk krever at dyrkingsteknologien blir tilpasset ressursgrunnlaget som foreligger, for optimal produksjon og bærekraft mht økonomi, miljø og ressursbruk. Informasjon som..