Recycling and adaptation of Klebsormidium flaccidum microalgae for the sustained production of gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Targeting the development of cell-based bioreactors for the production of metal nanoparticles, the possibility to perform the sustained synthesis of colloidal gold using Klebsormidium flaccidum green algae was studied. A first strategy relying on successive growth/reduction/reseeding recycling steps demonstrated maintained biosynthesis capability of the microalgae but limitation in metal content due to toxic effects. An alternative approach consisting of progressive gold salt addition revealed to be suitable to favor cell adaptation to larger metal concentrations and supported particle release over month periods.

Direct and indirect toxic effects of cotton-derived cellulose nanofibres on filamentous green algae

“…6A), and after 48 h, the photosynthetic efficiency increased again, suggesting that the K. flaccidum could recover from the toxic effect. This can be possible because K. flaccidum can recover its photosynthetic capability during NP exposure (Dahoumane et al, 2012).…”

Biosynthesis of Inorganic Nanoparticles: A Fresh Look at the Control of Shape, Size and Composition

“…The colloidal stability may be impacted by culture media [ 50 ]. The procedure, based on using living cells of microalgae kept under their regular culturing conditions, is a promising route for the sustainable and scalable production of inorganic nanoparticles in fully automated photobioreactors [ 51 , 52 ]. Requirements for their design and amassed knowledge regarding the mechanistic aspects during the production of metallic NPs were reviewed recently [ 23 ].…”

Biogenic nanomaterials from photosynthetic microorganisms

“…When cell cultures of Tetraselmis kochinensis were exposed to HAuCl 4 , the result was 5-35 nm Au 0 NP which remained bound to the cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane [24]. However, when Klebsormidium flaccidum was exposed to the same substrate, 10 nm Au 0 NP were continually produced and released into the culture medium [25], likely encapsulated within a coat of so far uncharacterized extracellular polymeric substances [26] believed to consist mostly of polysaccharides [27 ].…”