On Thursday, two of Sarah's interns at the MEC gave presentations about their work on algae biodiesel. The first intern had helped to create a biodiesel reactor, which combined waste vegetable oil and algae oil in a water heater. Currently, much research is being done on the most efficient method of extracting oil from the algae. The second intern and Sarah have been trying different methods of harvesting algae and extracting oil - centrifugation, filtration, alcohol, etc. All three of them have been working on taking apart the old aquaculture exhibits and replacing them with algae biodiesel exhibits. They are going to build their own photobioreactor for the algae once the materials arrive, and one of the interns is working on a see-through exhibit that shows the step-by-step process for biodiesel production. They are also developing a thick book titled "Home-Brew Biodiesel."
It was especially relevant for me to hear their talk on algae biodiesel. I am only focusing on a tiny slice of research - cultivation and nutrient removal from wastewater. In the future, I hope to venture into the other stages of biodiesel production, such as lipid removal, cell harvest, and perhaps even the economics of biodiesel.
After the presentation, Sarah and the two interns visited my humble algae culture in the back room. Sarah advised me to double the nutrient content and allow the algae 24-hour light cycles. At her suggestion, I also set up a fan to prevent overheating.
On Friday, I saw some improvements in the starter cultures. I was in the library working on my report when Julie informed me that Ms. Frankel at Parsons Lab has a fluorometer that I might be able to use to measure chlorophyll content. This would be a more accurate way of quantifying the algae growth. I hurried excitedly back to Sea Grant, checked in with Julie, and quickly pipetted 10 mL of my starter culture to each of the PPCP solutions (w/ 1 mL of nutrient solution). I was running out of time, because Ms. Frankel had to leave no later than 5:00. Quickly, but as accurately as possible, I poured 10 mL of each solution (with the newly added algae) into labeled plastic tubes and carried them in a brown bag over to Parsons.
Julie and Ms. Frankel were waiting for me there with a huge, antique field instrument -- the fluorometer -- that measures chlorophyll content. With Julie's help, we poured each of the solutions into small glass tubes and inserted them into the fluorometer. The calibrated fluorometer then gave a reading of the chlorophyll content, which I recorded in a data table. To my relief, all of the concentrations came out relatively similar. All of the solutions ranged from around 0.6 to 0.65 fluorescent units. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I will take chlorophyll measurements again and hope to see variations among the PPCPs.
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