Mixotrophic growth offers several advantages: (a) Higher growth rates than
either heterotrophic and photo-autotrophic regimes by shortening growth cycles and
producing higher biomass; (b)
Growth curve of M. inermum under autotrophic, heterotrophic (sodium acetate or glucose) and mixotrophic (sodium acetate or glucose) conditions. Experiment carried out in batch flask cultures. Bars represent standard deviation.
Chromatograms of HPLC before and after saponification of extracted
astaxanthin (sample: cells cultivated for 182 h under illumination
with blue LEDs at 8.0 mol-photonm−2 s−1; analytical method: Cosmosil
5C18-MS-II; measured wavelength: 470 nm; mobile phase: methanol,
1mlmin−1).