Inventors: Dr. Ibrahim Jabir Abd, Lecturer Ali Muayyad Najim, Dr. Rasha Kareem Muhammed/Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad
Abstract
Mutant microalgaeNanochloropsis sp. and Chlorella sp. byethyle methane sulphonate(EMS)included in this study exhibited a high potential for energetic lipid storage as well as high growth rates comparing to the un mutants (standard),The biomass growth of Chlorella was higher and in a more pronounced pattern after the mutation compared withNanochloropsis.The results showed a significant increase in the biomass of Chlorella and about three folds higher than that ofunmutant alga. The biomass of the Nanochloropsisshowed an increase of about twice as high as that of unmutant alga.
Therefore, considered promising candidates for biofuel production. In addition to the exponentially increase in biomass of the algae after mutation carbohydrates, proteins and fatty acids remarkably increased after these strains were mutated by ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS), while total lipids decreased. Five fatty acids were selected to assess effect of the mutation, which revealed that concentrations of all the fatty acids multiplied about 48, 16, 14, 7 and 6 fold ofLenolenic, Palmitic, Oleic, Stearic and Linoleic acids respectively in Nanochloropsis, while slightly changes occurred in the concentrations of Chlorella sp. fatty acids.