Abstract

Biodiesel produced from microalgae is a promising source of alternative energy. In winter, however, outdoor mass cultivation for biodiesel production is hampered by poor growth. Here, we report that Arctic Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C exhibits optimal growth at 4 A degrees C and reaches densities up to 1.4 x 10(7) cells mL(-1). Lipid body formation in the alga was visualized through BODIPY 505/515 staining and fluorescence microscopy. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production level of KNM0029C was 178.6 mg L-1 culture and 2.3-fold higher than that of C. reinhardtii CC-125 at 4 A degrees C. Analysis of the FAME content showed a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C16:3, C18:2, C18:3, and C20:2. C18:3 fatty acids comprised the largest fraction (20.7 %), and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (39.6 %) was higher than that of saturated fatty acids (6.8 %) at 4 A degrees C. These results indicate that Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C, as a psychrophilic microalga, might represent a favorable source for biodiesel production in cold environments.