Publications

Hyperspectral imaging of oil producing microalgae under thermal and nutritional stress

Powell, Amy J.; Davis, Ryan W.; Lane, Todd L.; Lane, Pamela L.; Keenan, Michael R.; Van Benthem, Mark V.

This short-term, late-start LDRD examined the effects of nutritional deprivation on the energy harvesting complex in microalgae. While the original experimental plan involved a much more detailed study of temperature and nutrition on the antenna system of a variety of TAG producing algae and their concomitant effects on oil production, time and fiscal constraints limited the scope of the study. This work was a joint effort between research teams at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico and California. Preliminary results indicate there is a photosystem response to silica starvation in diatoms that could impact the mechanisms for lipid accumulation.