Metabolic acclimation mechanism in microalgae developed for CO2 capture from industrial flue gas

Microalgae are the potential choice in diverting carbon emission from industrial plants. Owing to the high CO2 concentrations, industrial flue gas can constrain the growth of most microalgae. A continuous transfer procedure was developed to select a tolerant microalgae species to feed on CO2-rich industrial flue gas. The ability to capture CO2 by the developed microalgae species is verified in a closed gas bag system and the bubble column reactors. A total of 432 metabolic molecules were collected from the microalgae culture subject to the ambient (0.04% CO2) and the CO2- elevated (15%) treatments, 37 of which showed significantly different concentrations. These 37 metabolites were found to enhance the cellular physiology mechanisms of the microalgae to thrive in the high concentrations of CO2. The productivity of microalgae was shown to be improved for industrial applications.