Novel Two-step Biorefinery Process to Extract High Purity Cellulose and Biostimulant from Oedogonium Calcareum Algae
Oedogonium calcareum is a highly efficient algae species commonly used in wastewater remediation
due to its ability to absorb nutrients and pollutants. The biomass it generates is a sustainable feedstock
for producing high-value products such as biostimulants and high-purity cellulose.
This makes it an ideal candidate for biorefinery processes focused on sustainable and eco-friendly resource recovery.
In this project, I explored a two-step cascading biorefinery process using freshwater filamentous macroalgae, Oedogonium calcareum, cultivated during primary wastewater treatment. The aim was to extract two valuable bio-based products: a biostimulant extract and cellulose. The extraction of the biostimulant also acted as an effective disinfection process, eliminating human pathogens such as E. coli and F-specific RNA bacteriophage, ensuring the biomass could be safely repurposed.
The resulting biostimulant extract was analyzed using GC-MS to identify phytohormones, ICP-MS for metal analysis, and modified Ninhydrin assay for proteins and free amino acids. The biostimulant was found to be rich in proteins, free amino acids, the phytohormone phenylacetic acid (a growth-promoting auxin), fatty acids, and essential minerals, all of which are known to enhance plant growth. After extracting the biostimulant, the remaining biomass was used to obtain cellulose. The cellulose was characterized through HPLC (for sugar analysis), FTIR, XRD, TGA, and elemental analysis to evaluate its purity and suitability for incorporation into biodegradable polymers.