A D1 protein mutant of C. reinhardtii has been screened for its H2 evolution capacity. The L159I-N230Y mutant carries a double amino acidic substitution. The L159 leucine residue was replaced by isoleucine, and the N230 residue asparagine replaced by tyrosine. This mutant has proved to be 5 times more productive as compared to the cc124 strain, and is one of the most productive strains described in the literature, so far. A preliminary phenotypic characterization has identified some important features, such as: (i) a reduced amount of chlorophyll per cell) (ii) high photosynthesis and respiration rates, and (iii) higher D1 content per cell, (iv) higher accumulation of starch. Results of hydrogen production experiments carried out with C. reinhardtii cultures in a 50-liter horizontal tubular photobioreactor under both artificial and direct solar light are also presented. In both cases, the H2 output attained was 18-20% of what obtained in the laboratory. It was concluded that the reduced H2 output achieved in the 50-L photobioreactor was due to the different illumination pattern to which the cultures were exposed (one-sided vs. a two-sided illumination provided in the laboratory), as well as to the great difference in the mixing times (60 minutes vs. 15 s achieved in the lab-scale photobioreactor).
Progress in the photobiological hydrogen production with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cultures in laboratory and outdoor photobioreactors
Faraloni Cecilia;Torzillo Giuseppe
2011
Abstract
A D1 protein mutant of C. reinhardtii has been screened for its H2 evolution capacity. The L159I-N230Y mutant carries a double amino acidic substitution. The L159 leucine residue was replaced by isoleucine, and the N230 residue asparagine replaced by tyrosine. This mutant has proved to be 5 times more productive as compared to the cc124 strain, and is one of the most productive strains described in the literature, so far. A preliminary phenotypic characterization has identified some important features, such as: (i) a reduced amount of chlorophyll per cell) (ii) high photosynthesis and respiration rates, and (iii) higher D1 content per cell, (iv) higher accumulation of starch. Results of hydrogen production experiments carried out with C. reinhardtii cultures in a 50-liter horizontal tubular photobioreactor under both artificial and direct solar light are also presented. In both cases, the H2 output attained was 18-20% of what obtained in the laboratory. It was concluded that the reduced H2 output achieved in the 50-L photobioreactor was due to the different illumination pattern to which the cultures were exposed (one-sided vs. a two-sided illumination provided in the laboratory), as well as to the great difference in the mixing times (60 minutes vs. 15 s achieved in the lab-scale photobioreactor).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
