SELECTION OF AN ALGA FOR A PHOTOSYNTHETIC GAS EXCHANGER

摘要

A detailed survey of the plant kingdom and an examination of the requirements for an effective photosynthetic gas exchanger for closed-cycle ecological systems reveal that the unicellular nonmotile (coccoid) algae stand out above all other plant forms for use in an apparatus employing a suspension of cells in a liquid growth medium. The possibility of the effective use of a system in which plants are grown on moist surfaces is explored. Of the few strains or species of coccoid algae that are well studied, a thermophilic strain of Chlorella seems to have the best combination of desirable characteristics for the closed cycle application. Nevertheless, an intense industrial-scale screening program for the discovery of even better strains of algae is suggested.