20.109(F12): Pre-proposal WFGreen: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
==Investigators== | ==Investigators== | ||
Mahesh Thapa | Mahesh Thapa | ||
| Line 17: | Line 16: | ||
==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
Currently, the United States uses nearly 8.5 million barrels of gasoline per day in order to power our automobiles, buses, and other methods of transportation. Gasoline is well suited to this task; it is extremely energy-dense (~46 MJ/kg, ~36 MJ/liter), allowing it to be easily transported in order to supply a non-stationary engine. Of all the biological fuels, biodiesel comes the closest: | Currently, the United States uses nearly 8.5 million barrels of gasoline per day in order to power our automobiles, buses, and other methods of transportation. Gasoline is well suited to this task; it is extremely energy-dense (~46 MJ/kg, ~36 MJ/liter), allowing it to be easily transported in order to supply a non-stationary engine. Of all the biological fuels, biodiesel comes the closest: | ||
~42 MJ/kg, ~33 MJ/liter. (In comparison, lithium ion batteries are much less energy dense - 0.7 MJ/kg, ~2.3 MJ/liter.) However, the process of creating biofuels is extremely inefficient. Algae, which are the most efficient, can produce about $foo galloons per acre year with an efficiency of around 0.6%. There are, however, various inefficiencies that can probably be reduced. For example, algae chloroplasts contain large light-gathering complex; an adaptation that helps them live in low-light (200 -400 micromol photon/m<sup>2</sup>) conditions but often photosaturates under direct sunlight (>2000 photon/m<sup>2</sup>). Up to | ~42 MJ/kg, ~33 MJ/liter. (In comparison, lithium ion batteries are much less energy dense - 0.7 MJ/kg, ~2.3 MJ/liter.) However, the process of creating biofuels is extremely inefficient. Algae, which are the most efficient, can produce about $foo galloons per acre year with an efficiency of around 0.6%. There are, however, various inefficiencies that can probably be reduced. For example, algae chloroplasts contain large light-gathering complex; an adaptation that helps them live in low-light (200 -400 micromol photon/m<sup>2</sup>) conditions but often photosaturates under direct sunlight (>2000 photon/m<sup>2</sup>) . Up to 60% of the light energy is wasted this way (Ort ''et. al.'' 2009), and we seek to find the antenna size that is optimal under sunlight. | ||
==Your idea== | ==Your idea== | ||
We will first create a library of mutants of the microalga ''Chlorella protothecoides'', in antennae size and set up outdoor closed bioreactors with these mutants. For a period of seven days, we will daily measure the concentration of | We will first create a library of mutants of the microalga ''Chlorella protothecoides'', in antennae size and set up outdoor closed bioreactors with these mutants. For a period of seven days, we will daily measure the concentration of algae and the lipid content of the algae. We will also monitor the oxygen generated by these reactors as a measure of photosynthetic effiency. | ||
==A sketch== | ==A sketch== | ||
==Citations== | |||
Ort, Donald R., Xinguang Zhu, and Anastasios Melis. "Optimizing Antenna Size to Maximize Photosynthetic Efficiency." ''Plant Physiology'' 155.1 (2011): 79-85. ''PubMed Central''. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. | |||
Revision as of 06:02, 29 November 2012
Investigators
Mahesh Thapa
Shulin Ye
WF Green
Title of Proposed Project
20.109(F12) Pre-Proposal: Optimizing the Size of Algal Chloroplast Antennea for Bioreactors
Project Summary
Modern American society depends on fossil fuels such as petroleum; however, our reliance on these fuels puts both our economy and national security at risk and the CO2 released is destabilizing our planet’s climate. Because of these issues, many are researching renewable energy sources such as solar panels, hydrogen power, and biological fuels. Although biodiesel is the most petroleum-like fuel among these options, it is less efficient, in part due to the fact that algae tend to be optimized for low-light conditions; we propose a genetic screen in order to find a strain of algae more optimized for direct sunlight.
Introduction
Currently, the United States uses nearly 8.5 million barrels of gasoline per day in order to power our automobiles, buses, and other methods of transportation. Gasoline is well suited to this task; it is extremely energy-dense (~46 MJ/kg, ~36 MJ/liter), allowing it to be easily transported in order to supply a non-stationary engine. Of all the biological fuels, biodiesel comes the closest: ~42 MJ/kg, ~33 MJ/liter. (In comparison, lithium ion batteries are much less energy dense - 0.7 MJ/kg, ~2.3 MJ/liter.) However, the process of creating biofuels is extremely inefficient. Algae, which are the most efficient, can produce about $foo galloons per acre year with an efficiency of around 0.6%. There are, however, various inefficiencies that can probably be reduced. For example, algae chloroplasts contain large light-gathering complex; an adaptation that helps them live in low-light (200 -400 micromol photon/m2) conditions but often photosaturates under direct sunlight (>2000 photon/m2) . Up to 60% of the light energy is wasted this way (Ort et. al. 2009), and we seek to find the antenna size that is optimal under sunlight.
Your idea
We will first create a library of mutants of the microalga Chlorella protothecoides, in antennae size and set up outdoor closed bioreactors with these mutants. For a period of seven days, we will daily measure the concentration of algae and the lipid content of the algae. We will also monitor the oxygen generated by these reactors as a measure of photosynthetic effiency.
A sketch
Citations
Ort, Donald R., Xinguang Zhu, and Anastasios Melis. "Optimizing Antenna Size to Maximize Photosynthetic Efficiency." Plant Physiology 155.1 (2011): 79-85. PubMed Central. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.
