Production of Picochlorum oklahomense in Red vs. White Light

Abstract

In this experiment, we studied the rate of production in Picochlorum oklahomense under different conditions of light. Our goal was to determine the optimum setting for which algal production is highest; algae can be used as a source of biofuel in order to create a greener and healthier environment, so the enhanced production of algae is very important in sustainability. We subjected Picochlorum oklahomense to red and white light and compared the cell count of the two in order to determine which light led to a higher rate of algal production. We found that algae has a higher rate of growth in white light than it does in red light. This result is most likely due to the fact that white light is composed of many different colors and in turn, provides many different wavelengths available for the chlorophyll to absorb, while red light only provides one.