Roland Schaap

Citation

Thesis Title
UV radiation as a new tool to control microalgal bio-product yield and quality

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Microalgal cultivation processes face significant limitations in achievable bioproduct and biomass yields. Targeted treatments with ultraviolet (UV) radiation have been shown to improve biomass and bioproduct yields in microalgae. However, no initiatives that explore the development of targeted UV treatments during large-scale microalgae cultivation have been found in the literature or in the industry. In collaboration with industrial partner BioLumic, Mr Schaap researched the UV photobiology of the microalga Dunaliella salina and applied this new understanding to assess the feasibility of a UV treatment system for large-scale microalgae cultivation. He showed that the magnitude of the UV induced carotenoid accumulation response depended on UV wavelength, UV irradiance and UV dose. The case study he carried out indicated that UV treatment technology has potential to increase profitability of the large-scale Dunaliella salina cultivation process. Based on the findings, he provided recommendations to the industrial partner BioLumic for continued research and development.

Supervisors
Professor Benoit Guieysse
Professor Julian Heyes
Professor Jason Wargent