NSF Award
8560658
Many unicellular algae produce large quantities of oils as food storage compounds and can be grown autotrophically in culture, requiring only light, carbon dioxide, water and a few minerals. This research addresses the growth of algal species autotrophically in the presence of 99.7% deuterium oxide (D20), thereby replacing all the cellular hydrogen with deuterium and biologically producing perdeuterated hydrocarbons. The objectives of this research are: define optimal culture conditions and select strains of oil-producing algae which exhibit exceptional growth in 99.7% D20; identify procedures for efficient harvest of the cultures, extraction of the perdeuterated oils, and recycling of the D20; characterize the lipid components produced by the oil-producing algae during culture in D20; and design a test bed for comparison of the lubrication capabilities of the oil extracted from the algae. The potential cost reduction of the deuterated lubricants when produced biologically will undoubtedly increase the scope of the use of these high performance compounds.
