Growth and fatty acid content of Rhodomonas sp. under day:night cycles of light and temperature

The biomass composition, namely the fatty composition, of microalgae used in aqua feed is of great importance for the nutritional value of the biomass. Day:night cycles of light and temperature could influence the growth and biomass composition of microalgae. To study the effect of these cycles on Rhodomonas sp. the algae were grown under 16:8 day:night cycles in lab-scale photobioreactors running as turbidostat. Different temperature and light intensities were applied during the light phase. Synchronized cell cycles were observed for Rhodomonas sp. under day:night conditions with oscillating cell size, cell number, biomass concentration and fatty acid content and composition. Cells increased in size during the light phase, storing energy, with cell division scheduled in the dark phase.