Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density

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dc.contributor.authorGriffiths, Melinda J
dc.contributor.authorGarcin, Clive
dc.contributor.authorvan Hille, Robert P
dc.contributor.authorHarrison, Susan T L
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-22T13:32:46Z
dc.date.available2016-08-22T13:32:46Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.date.updated2016-08-19T13:35:50Z
dc.description.abstractOptical density is used as a convenient indirect measurement of biomass concentration in microbial cell suspensions. Absorbance of light by a suspension can be related directly to cell density using a suitable standard curve. However, inaccuracies can be introduced when the pigment content of the cells changes. Under the culture conditions used, pigment content of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris varied between 0.5 and 5.5% of dry weight with age and culture conditions. This led to significant errors in biomass quantification over the course of a growth cycle, due to the change in absorbance. Using a standard curve generated at a single time point in the growth cycle to calculate dry weight (dw) from optical density led to average relative errors across the growth cycle, relative to actual dw, of between 9 and 18% at 680 nm and 5 and 13% at 750 nm. When a standard curve generated under low pigment conditions was used to estimate biomass under normal pigment conditions, average relative errors in biomass estimation relative to actual dw across the growth cycle were 52% at 680 nm and 25% at 750 nm. Similar results were found with Scenedesmus, Spirulina and Nannochloropsis. Suggested strategies to minimise error include selection of a wavelength that minimises absorbance by the pigment, e.g. 750 nm where chlorophyll is the dominant pigment, and generation of a standard curve towards the middle, or across the entire, growth cycle.en_ZA
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2011.02.005
dc.identifier.apacitationGriffiths, M. J., Garcin, C., van Hille, R. P., & Harrison, S. T. L. (2011). Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density. <i>Journal of Microbiological Methods</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21447en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationGriffiths, Melinda J, Clive Garcin, Robert P van Hille, and Susan T L Harrison "Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density." <i>Journal of Microbiological Methods</i> (2011) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21447en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationGriffiths, M. J., Garcin, C., van Hille, R. P., & Harrison, S. T. (2011). Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density. Journal of microbiological methods, 85(2), 119-123.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0167-7012en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Griffiths, Melinda J AU - Garcin, Clive AU - van Hille, Robert P AU - Harrison, Susan T L AB - Optical density is used as a convenient indirect measurement of biomass concentration in microbial cell suspensions. Absorbance of light by a suspension can be related directly to cell density using a suitable standard curve. However, inaccuracies can be introduced when the pigment content of the cells changes. Under the culture conditions used, pigment content of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris varied between 0.5 and 5.5% of dry weight with age and culture conditions. This led to significant errors in biomass quantification over the course of a growth cycle, due to the change in absorbance. Using a standard curve generated at a single time point in the growth cycle to calculate dry weight (dw) from optical density led to average relative errors across the growth cycle, relative to actual dw, of between 9 and 18% at 680 nm and 5 and 13% at 750 nm. When a standard curve generated under low pigment conditions was used to estimate biomass under normal pigment conditions, average relative errors in biomass estimation relative to actual dw across the growth cycle were 52% at 680 nm and 25% at 750 nm. Similar results were found with Scenedesmus, Spirulina and Nannochloropsis. Suggested strategies to minimise error include selection of a wavelength that minimises absorbance by the pigment, e.g. 750 nm where chlorophyll is the dominant pigment, and generation of a standard curve towards the middle, or across the entire, growth cycle. DA - 2011 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - Journal of Microbiological Methods LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2011 SM - 0167-7012 T1 - Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density TI - Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21447 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21447
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationGriffiths MJ, Garcin C, van Hille RP, Harrison STL. Interference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical density. Journal of Microbiological Methods. 2011; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21447.en_ZA
dc.languageengen_ZA
dc.publisherElsevieren_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)*
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.en_ZA
dc.sourceJournal of Microbiological Methodsen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-microbiological-methods/
dc.subject.otherAbsorbance
dc.subject.otherBiomass quantification
dc.subject.otherChlorella vulgaris
dc.subject.otherChlorophyll
dc.subject.otherOptical density
dc.titleInterference by pigment in the estimation of microalgal biomass concentration by optical densityen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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