Chlorella autotrophica, or Chlorella sp. (580), is a species of euryhaline, unicellular microalga in the Division Chlorophyta. It is found in brackish waters and was first isolated in 1956 by Ralph A. Lewin.[1] The species is defined by its inability to use organic carbon as a food source, making the species an obligate autotroph.[2] It is sometimes considered a variety of Chlorella vulgaris.[3]
Chlorella autotrophica | |
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Scientific classification | |
(unranked): | Viridiplantae |
Division: | Chlorophyta |
Class: | Trebouxiophyceae |
Order: | Chlorellales |
Family: | Chlorellaceae |
Genus: | Chlorella |
Species: | C. autotrophica
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Binomial name | |
Chlorella autotrophica Shihira & R.W.Krauss
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C. autotrophica has many uses. The species has been used as a feedstock for rearing bivalves and fry in aquaculture[4] and as source of the amino acid L-Proline.[5][6] German and Russian scientists investigated the possibility of using the species as a food source for astronauts.[7][8] The algal species is also a candidate feedstock for biodiesel production due to its ability to accumulate triglycerides under nitrogen limitation.[citation needed]