Table 1 Biomass productivity (r_p) in g L⁻¹ d⁻¹, growth rate (µ) in d⁻¹, and protein content (PC) in % of DW of the three mutants of C. vulgaris, 8G, 7Y, and 31 W, tested at 3 temperatures, 3 pH, and with 3 N sources (A – ammonium; N – nitrate; U – urea). Different letters represent statistical differences between the three conditions tested (T, pH, and N source) for each response (r_p, µ, PC) for each mutant (p < 0.05), i.e., if a response has the same letter under different conditions (of T or pH or N source), there were no significant differences in that response (r_p, µ, PC) for that mutant (p > 0.05). Results are shown as mean ± s.d., n = 3.

8G

r_p

1.85 ± 0.02^a

1.74 ± 0.01^a

1.85 ± 0.11^a

2.20 ± 0.07^a

2.36 ± 0.05^a

2.18 ± 0.05^a

2.36 ± 0.05^a

2.09 ± 0.07^b

2.29 ± 0.01^a

µ

1.25 ± 0.01^b

1.30 ± 0.02^a

1.31 ± 0.01^a

1.15 ± 0.01^b

1.17 ± 0.01^ab

1.14 ± 0.01^bc

1.17 ± 0.01^a

1.13 ± 0.01^b

1.13 ± 0.01^b

PC

35.2 ± 0.9^b

39.3 ± 0.4^a

37.0 ± 0.9^b

30.4 ± 0.2^a

29.3 ± 1.1^ab

27.1 ± 0.9^b

29.3 ± 1.1^a

32.5 ± 1.4^a

29.2 ± 1.0^a

7Y

r_p

2.50 ± 0.03^b

2.70 ± 0.03^a

1.93 ± 0.09^c

0.85 ± 0.06^a

0.75 ± 0.03^a

0.42 ± 0.11^b

0.75 ± 0.03^a

0.37 ± 0.04^c

0.64 ± 0.03^b

µ

1.30 ± 0.00^a

1.32 ± 0.02^a

1.05 ± 0.01^b

0.83 ± 0.02^a

0.80 ± 0.02^a

0.66 ± 0.06^b

0.80 ± 0.02^a

0.65 ± 0.03^b

0.77 ± 0.03^a

PC

32.2 ± 1.1^b

33.6 ± 0.5^ab

34.6 ± 0.4^a

34.9 ± 0.6^a

35.1 ± 0.1^a

31.0 ± 1.6^b

35.1 ± 0.1^a

27.8 ± 3.9^a

32.3 ± 2.1^a

31 W

r_p

1.71 ± 0.15^b

1.65 ± 0.06^b

2.22 ± 0.07^a

2.06 ± 0.03^ab

2.48 ± 0.23^a

1.99 ± 0.05^b

2.48 ± 0.23^a

1.48 ± 0.12^b

2.27 ± 0.06^a

µ

1.02 ± 0.02^b

1.01 ± 0.01^b

1.09 ± 0.01^a

1.03 ± 0.02^b

1.10 ± 0.01^a

1.01 ± 0.03^b

1.10 ± 0.03^a

0.88 ± 0.02^b

1.04 ± 0.03^a

PC

39.8 ± 1.0^a

41.2 ± 0.5^a

33.8 ± 0.5^b

33.9 ± 0.1^a

32.1 ± 0.7^b

35.1 ± 0.3^a

32.1 ± 0.7^b

36.3 ± 0.6^a

36.2 ± 0.3^a