Researchers Develop Mycoalgae Biofilm Process to Ease Algae Harvest

Microalgae is considered a promising source for biofuel and high-value compound production. However, harvesting microalgae is a major hindrance in the algae-based processes. University of Minnesota's Aravindan Rajendran and Bo Hu tried to mimic the growth of natural lichen and develop a biofilm platform technology using filamentous fungi and microalgae to form a biofilm "mycoalgae" for easier harvest.

The possibility of co-existence of Chlorella vulgaris with various fungl cultures was first tested to identify the best strain combination for high algae harvest efficiency. Mycoalgae biofilm with algae attachment efficiency of 99.0% was achieved in a polymer-cotton composite matrix with glucose concentration of 2 g/L in the growth medium and agitation intensity of 150 rpm at 27°C. The total biomass in the co-culture with the selected strain combination (Mucor sp. and Chlorella sp.) was higher than any of the cultures tested.

Results show that algae can be grown with complete attachment to a fungal surface and can be harvested readily as a biofilm for product extraction. The mycoalgae biofilm processes and expands the scope for exploring new techniques in the bioproduction industry.