OF GLYCEROL FROM DANALIELLA

THOUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION OF MI MICROALGAL BIOMASS IS WELL UNDERWAY, AN INEXPENSIVE, SIMPLE METHOD OF CONVERTING ALGAE TO LIQUID FUELS HAS YET TO BE DEVELOPED. THE WORK PROPOSED HERE SEEKS TO INVESTIGATE THE FERMENTATION TO ETHANOL OF GLYCEROL DERIVED FROM DUNALIELLA, A SALT-TOLERANT MICROALGAE. WHEN A DUNALIELLA CELL PASTE IS RESUSPENDED IN LOW-SALT MEDIA ,CELL LYSIS OCCURS. THE GLYCEROL-BEARING LYSATE THUS PRO- DUCED WILL BE TESTED AS A FEEDSTOCK FOR FERMENTATION BY YEAST AND BY ZYMOMONAS . THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH ARE TO DETERMINE: (1) THE RATE AND EXTENT OF ETHANOL P PRODUCTION FROM THE ALGAL LYSATE; (2) THE EFFECTS OF CELL DEBRIS IN THE LYSATE ON THE FERMENTATION PROCESS; AND (3) THE EXTENT TO WHICH VALUABLE BY-PRODUCT PROTEIN AND ALGAL PIGMENTS SURVIVE THE FERMENTATION PROCESS. STEPS IN THE RESEARCH EFFORT WILL INCLUDE IN ESTABLISHMENT OF MICROBIAL CULTURES, PREPARATION OF ALGAL LYSATES, INTRO- DUCTION OF THE LYSATES, MONITORING OF FERMENTATION, DETERMINATION OF THE PROTEIN AND BETA-CAROTULLE CONTENT OF THE STILLAGE REMAINING AFTER FERMENTATION, AND DEVELOPP- MENT OF A PROCESS OPTIMIZATION MODEL FOR THE ALGAE-TO-E ETHANOL PROCESS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE FOR THE TECHNICAL REFINEMENT AND SCALE-UP OF THE SYSTEM, CULMINATING IN A COMMERCIAL ALGAE FARM/FUEL-AND-BY -PRODUCT VENTURE.