The Effect of Nitrogen Starvation of Chlorella Sp. on Shewanella Oneidensis Mass

Overview

The impending depletion of nonrenewable energy sources has resulted in worldwide research for more productive renewable resources. Biofuels are an emerging source of energy that utilize the carbohydrates of biomass such as algae and palm trees. Environmental stress, such as prolonged lack of nutrients, increase the higher lipid contents of algae, which result in a higher biofuel productivity. This research was aimed at improving the growth of Chlorella sp. for purposes of biofuel production through algal based fuel cells. It was hypothesized that if nitrogen starvation was performed on the Chlorella sp., the mass of Shewanella oneidensis would increase. This was tested by culturing the Chlorella sp. in nitrogen sufficient and nitrogen starved medium. The biomass of the algae produced was fed to the Shewanella oneidensis. The mass of the bacteria was measured with an electronic balance. A one-way ANOVA F(2,42)=48.29, p<0.001, followed by a post-hoc Tukey test, was conducted to determine if there was a significant difference between the nitrogen starved, the nitrogen sufficient, and the control treatments. The hypothesis was supported with the results since there was a significant difference between the control and nitrogen starved treatments, as it produced a larger mass of Shewanella oneidensis than both the nitrogen sufficient and control groups. No significant difference was found between the nitrogen sufficient and the control treatments. The results of this study can improve the methods in which algal-based microbial fuel cells are used, making the energy produced from them more efficient.

Competition history

• AJAS 2020 Category not listed

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