Outdoor performance of Chlorococcum littorale at different locations

Our goal in the present study was to evaluate the potential for lipid production of two cell populations of the marine microalgae Chlorococcum littorale under different climate conditions. We selected, in a previous study and via fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), a new cell population of Chlorococcum littorale, namely S5. S5 showed a stable doubled triacylglycerol (TAG) productivity in comparison with the original population. A previously developed model was expanded to include day:night cycles and validated to predict biomass and outdoor TAG productivities at different locations. Four different locations were chosen to simulate the response of C. littorale to different day lengths and light intensities (the Netherlands, Norway, Brazil and Spain). Indoor experiments (simulated summer) were carried out with Original and S5, showing that S5 had a doubled TAG productivity under N-starvation. Finally, simulations of biomass and TAG productivities of Original and S5 at different locations were performed. At locations with lower light intensities, Norway and the Netherland s, biomass productivities were higher than at locations with higher light intensities, Brazil/Spain. Such results might be associated with light-saturation effects. TAG productivities, however, showed no effect of local light intensity. Locations at higher latitudes, Norway/Netherlands, cannot sustain phototrophic year-round production, hence, the yearly average TAG productivities were doubled in Brazil/Spain (from 1.4–1.6 to 3.0–3.2 g m − 2 d − 1 ). Likewise, C. littorale S5 was simulated with doubled TAG productivities when compared with Original, at all locations (2.5–2.7 (low light) to 4.7–5.2 g m − 2 d − 1 (high light)). The present results confirm the industrial potential of Chlorococcum littorale, both Original and S5, as a source of TAG. Furthermore, our results can be used for comparison and to estimate future production scenarios.