Via photosynthesis, marine phytoplankton transforms large quantities of inorganic compounds into biomass. This has considerable environmental impacts as microalgae contribute to counter-balancing anthropogenic releases of the greenhouse gas CO2. In previous investigations it was found that the chemical composition of microalgal biomass is strongly dependent on the nutrient availability. Therefore, it is expected that algae’s sequestration capabilities are also determined by the cells’ chemical environments. For investigating this hypothesis, novel analytical methodologies are required which are capable of monitoring live cells exposed to chemically shifting environments followed by chemometric modeling of their chemical adaptation dynamics. FTIR-ATR experiments have been developed for acquiring spectroscopic time series of live Dunaliella parva cultures adapting to different nutrient situations. Comparing experimental data from acclimated cultures to those exposed to a chemically shifted nutrient situation reveals insights in which analyte groups participate in modifications of microalgal biomass and on what time scales. For a chemometric modeling of these processes, a data model has been deduced in this study which explicitly describes the chemical adaptation dynamics. Since live cells also undergo physiological changes, the latter need to be incorporated into this model as well. First results show that this approach is feasible and derives information about the chemical biomass adaptations. Future investigations will utilize these instrumental and chemometric methodologies for quantitative investigations of the relation between chemical environments and microalgal sequestration capabilities.

Spectroscopic analyses of chemical adaptation processes within microalgal biomass in response to changing environments

249th National Meeting (2015)

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