Simultaneous saccharification of cassava starch and fermentation of algae for biodiesel production

A simpler approach to produce biodiesel from cassava starch was established, which successfully integrates the simultaneous saccharification and heterotrophic algal fermentation in an identical system. Batch experiments were investigated to verify the feasibility of raw starchy substrates fermentation for microalgal oil. The highest cell density (49.34 g L−1) and oil content (54.60%) were obtained in 5-L fed-batch cultivation via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). It is demonstrated that the previous multistep hydrolysis and fermentation for feedstock oil could be replaced by SSF with higher energy efficiency and lower facility costs.