NREL - Seambiotic

NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory - Department of Energy, DOE, U.S.A) is running a research project of developing a comprehensive high-throughput technique for assessing lipid production in micro-algae. This project led by Dr. Ed Wolfrum.

NREL performed a preliminary lipid analysis of Seambiotic Nannochloropsis algal biomass samples sent to NREL earlier this year.

Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition

Preliminary analysis results of the Nannochloropsis biomass indicate that on a dry weight basis the algae contain 37.54 ± 0.31 % lipids (~45% AFDW).

Preliminary chainlength analysis experiments were carried out using either base or acid catalyzed trans-esterification; using methanolic TMG (tetramethyl-guanidine) and HCI. The identification and quantification of the contribution of the chains was done via chainlength profile analysis by GC-FID. We annotated the peaks on the basis of retention time comparisons with a quantitative FAME standard series.

In summary; the relative contribution of the fatty acids is as follows: 2.7% C14:0; 23.9% C16:1; 17.4% C16:0; 2.5% C18:2; 3.0% C18:1; 2.5% C18:0; 3.8% C20:4 and 33.6% C20:5 (which is Eicosapentaenoic acid, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid).

On a weight basis the total FAME content corresponds to (an average) 15.6 +/- 1.7 mg of FAME derived from 100 mg of biomass, i.e. 15.6%.

The Nannochloropsis biomass has been invaluable in NREL research as an abundant source of algae.