Lemnaceae;

from green nuisance ………

………to green technology

Dr. Marcel Jansen

Lemnaceae

Wolffia globosa

Wolffiella gladiata

Lemna minor

Spirodela polyrhiza

http://waynesword.palomar.edu

Smallest flowering plants

http://waynesword.palomar.edu

http://world-flowers-plants.blogspot.com/2011/04/smallest-crop-in-world.html

Doubling time at UCC

Lemna minor 2.27 dayLemna gibba 2.18 dayLandoltia puntata 2.11 dayWolffia brasiliensis 3.35 day

Doubling time optimal conditions <20 hours

Small plant – fast grower!

Fast growth; problem or opportunity ?

Lake Maracaibo - Venezuela

Pennsylvania

Cork http://imageshack.us/

http://www.voltairenet.org/The-Promise-of-Restitution-of

http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/duckweed/duckweed.htm

Lemnaceae in traditional /sustainable agriculture (FAO 2011)

Lemnaceae; problem or opportunity ?

http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/resources/documents/DW/Dw2.htm

Lemnaceae; problem or opportunity?

Protein (43% DW) feed aquaculture

Essential amino acids (Lys, Leu, Ile, Phe, Thr, Val)

Bio-crude (renewable fuel)

Technology for growth, harvesting and processing

Yield up to 4 ton FW / hectare / day PetroAlgae Inc Florida Lemna production

http://www.petroalgae.com/

Lemnaceae; problem or opportunity ?

Devils Lake – North Dakota – 10.000 inhab.

Tertiary wastewater treatment (N/P removal)

Plant nutrient uptakeAnaerobic microbial processes

Marriage between biology & engineeringhttp://www.ci.devils-lake.nd.us/departments/sewer-department.html

Metals and heavy metals

Lemnaceae as bioaccumulators– Phytoremediation– Feed fortification

Phytoremediation–I - Zinchttp://www.imdb.com/

Zinc uptake by Lemna minor

Time in days

zinc

Linear model with first order kinetics

Zinc bioaccumulation by Lemna minor

Literature; accumulation factors Zn > 35000

Based on 0.2 mg/L BCF=1000 kg/ha/day

Zinc in the food chain

Available for trophic transfer

From phytoremediation to …. ……….food fortification

Zinc in Gammarus pulex fed on Lemna minor and after 24h depuration

Phytoremediation-II - TCP

Chlorophenols

Priority pollutant Genotoxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic Ubiquitous in aqueous environment

– Sawmills (wood impregnation agents)– Precursors / degradation products chemicals– Landfill sites

2,4,6, trichlorophenol

TCP is phytotoxic

Specific growth rate (day-1)

L.punctata L.minor L.gibba

EC

50 (

µM

)

Peroxidase activity in medium L. punctata

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Landoltia punctata Lemna minor Lemna gibbaPO

D a

ctiv

ity (

nm

ol A

BT

S m

in-1 m

g-1)

TCP

TCPTCP

Response to TCP concentration that gives ca. 15% growth inhibition

UV/VIS spectrophotometry

Enzyme + 2,4,6, TCP

-0.05

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

SpEx

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

240 280 320 360 400

HRP-C

Wavelength (nm)

Oxidation to 2,6 dichloro-1,4 benzoquinone

LC-MSTCP - no enzyme

TCP - peroxidase

m/z 195 TCP (+2, +4, +6 for 37Cl)

Isomer dichloro benzoquinone

Substrates for class III peroxidases

Trichlorophenol

(1) Recognition& Induction

(2) Enzyme secretion

Class III peroxidase(3) Oxidative detoxification by

Mono and Dichlorobenzoquinones

Lemnaceae frond

Three components of Lemnaceae response system

Lemnaceae bioreactor?

Range of potential substrates?

TCP breakdown products?

Capacity Lemnaceae reactor?------------------------- Secrete other desirable proteins

http://www.lemnagene.com/

………..Lemnaceae andthe Green Economy…..?

Engineering solutions

Molecular transformation technologies

DOE-JGI genome sequence

Green technology

Protein/biofuel PharmaceuticalsPhytoremediationFood fortification

UnderstandingPhysiological

potential

Acknowledgements

TCP (JIC, Norwich, UK)• Roger Thorneley• Lionel Hill

TCP (UCC)• Dilip Biswas (BEES)• Gillian Scannell (BEES)• Nurlan Akhmetov (Chemistry)• Dara Fitzpatrick (Chemistry)

Zinc (UCC)• Elma Lahive (BEES)• John O’Halloran (BEES)

Funding EPA and IRCSET