Biodiversity and Conservation

Biography

Biography: Prachi Nagar

Abstract

Microalgae have many potential applications in different industries such as manure, food and fodder, biofuels production etc. Therefore, studying the optimum conditions that will produce the maximum amount of biomass holds importance. The study aims at examining the influence of different concentrations of magnesium ions on the growth and productivity of the microalgae Scenedesmus rubescens. Since magnesium is the central element of the porphyrin ring structure of chlorophyll (Chl a-C₅₅H₇₂O₅N₄Mg, Chl b-C₅₅H₇₀O₆N₄Mg etc.), hence it is expected that decreased availability of magnesium will lead to decrease in the formation of chlorophyll. Reduction in chlorophyll will directly affect the rate of photosynthesis and this will lead to reduced productivity of biomass. The microalgae culture Scenedesmus sp., was grown in the fundamental growth media BG-11, but with the varying concentrations (0 to 150 ppm) of magnesium source (i.e. MgSO₄.7H₂O). Conditions of temperature at 27ºC, the light intensity of 400 µmol/m2/s and alternate periods of illumination (18 hours) and darkness (6 hours) were provided to study the algal growth and biomass productivity. The different samples were regularly monitored for the changes with respect to the three parameters; i.e. dry biomass weight, cell count and O.D. (absorbance at 670 nm) at an interval of 2-3 days. Haemocytometer was used for counting cells in different samples