Bio-designing of Culture Conditions for Chlorella vulgaris Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

Microalgae are microscopic organisms and show a geographical distribution depending on the physical, dynamic, and chemical factors of the environment. These factors are mostly important for attachment and development of microalgae. Substrate, temperature, light, agitation, and turbidity can be given as examples of physical factors, whereas salinity, pH value, and vitamins can be categorized as chemical factors. In this study, the optimization of Chlorella vulgaris production was carried out by response surface methodology (RSM) using two factors of agitation rate (100-250 rpm) and nitrogen source concentration (1-4 g/L) in the cultivation of BG11 medium. Moreover, the usage of urea instead of NaNO3 was investigated and discussed.