SBIR Phase I: Development of a Two-Stage Culture Process for Production of Omega 3 Rich Algae from Biodiesel Waste Glycerol for Use as an Aquaculture Fish Feed Supplement

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目开发了一个两阶段的异养微藻培养过程，其细胞密度超过100克/升，用于从生物柴油工业生产的副产物粗甘油中生产omega-3脂肪酸，特别是DHA。第一阶段研究的总体目标是扩大和优化该工艺，并评估其经济可行性和未来研究、开发和商业销售的可行性。研究目标是：(1)优化培养基成分，以便扩大规模；(2)评价KLa作为扩大实验室规模DHA生产工艺的参数；(3)评估该工艺的经济可行性和整体可行性。更广泛的影响将是解决生物柴油工业中废弃甘油处理的问题，同时提供必要的鱼饲料补充，有助于减少水产养殖对鱼油和鱼粉的依赖。这种降低成本的藻类培养过程可以帮助用富含omega-3的藻类补充剂完全替代鱼油补充剂；从而提高更健康鱼类产品的适销性，同时也有助于保护我们枯竭的海洋渔业免遭进一步退化。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops a two-stage culture process of heterotrophic microalgae with a high cell density of more than 100 g/L to produce omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA, from the crude glycerol produced as a by-product by the biodiesel industry. The overall objective for this Phase I research is to scale-up and optimize this process and assess its economic viability and feasibility for future research, development, and commercial sales. The research objectives are to: (1) refine the culture medium components for scale-up; (2) evaluate KLa as a parameter for scale-up of the lab-scale DHA production process; and (3) assess the economic viability and overall feasibility of the process.The broader impact will be to solve the problem of waste glycerol treatment in the biodiesel industry while providing an essential fish feed supplement that could help reduce the reliance of aquaculture on fish oil and fishmeal. This reduced cost algal culture process could help to completely substitute fish oil supplementation with omega-3 enriched algae supplementation; thereby resulting in enhanced marketability of the healthier fish product while also aiding in protecting our depleted marine fisheries from further degradation.