Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

"There are many potential benefits to the mining industry accruing from the application of algal biotechnology. The main benefits are in the production of biodiesel and in the remediation of mining brownfields. The research in this study was centered in the original idea that these brownfields represent a tremendous opportunity for use as a hybrid model for redevelopment into sustainable "mines" of biomass. The ability of these underground spaces serving as bioreactors to control all aspects of the growing environment, from lighting, to temperature, to biosecurity, are key advantages that have been identified in the literature. The many benefits inherent in sequestering the growth of phototrophic, halotolerant, eukaryotic, green microalgae within underground mining spaces mitigates many of the recognized shortcomings of current commercial-industrial models for algae culture. The singular challenge to the entire model was the effective production of light energy and fostering maximum photosynthetic efficiency within the microalgae. As a result, the focus on the experimental laboratory work concentrated on the development of tools and techniques for evaluation of different lighting regimes with an algae species chosen from a family with an industrial-commercial pedigree. The fundamental experimental work with the microalgae Dunaliella viridis revealed a novel and unforeseen aspect of experiments with monochromatic light sources. The results demonstrated surprising and potentially beneficial morphology changes as a result of the lighting treatments. Capitalization on these benefits in the proposed hybrid model were then examined in a collection of proposed future experiments, sustainability analysis, and fundamental economic analysis"--Abstract, page iii.

Advisor(s)

Alagha, Lana Z.
Mormile, Melanie R.

Committee Member(s)

Frimpong, Samuel
Awuah-Offei, Kwame, 1975-
Niyogi, Dev

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Mining Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Spring 2016

Pagination

xx, 258 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographic references (pages 232-257).

Rights

© 2016 Daniel James Vidt, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Biomass energyAlgae -- BiotechnologyBrownfields

Thesis Number

T 10929

Electronic OCLC #

952600383

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