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Agbebi TV, Ojo EO, Watson IA. Towards optimal inorganic carbon delivery to microalgae culture. ALGAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2022.102841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Benner P, Meier L, Pfeffer A, Krüger K, Oropeza Vargas JE, Weuster-Botz D. Lab-scale photobioreactor systems: principles, applications, and scalability. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2022; 45:791-813. [PMID: 35303143 PMCID: PMC9033726 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-022-02711-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Phototrophic microorganisms that convert carbon dioxide are being explored for their capacity to solve different environmental issues and produce bioactive compounds for human therapeutics and as food additives. Full-scale phototrophic cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria can be done in open ponds or closed photobioreactor systems, which have a broad range of volumes. This review focuses on laboratory-scale photobioreactors and their different designs. Illuminated microtiter plates and microfluidic devices offer an option for automated high-throughput studies with microalgae. Illuminated shake flasks are used for simple uncontrolled batch studies. The application of illuminated bubble column reactors strongly emphasizes homogenous gas distribution, while illuminated flat plate bioreactors offer high and uniform light input. Illuminated stirred-tank bioreactors facilitate the application of very well-defined reaction conditions. Closed tubular photobioreactors as well as open photobioreactors like small-scale raceway ponds and thin-layer cascades are applied as scale-down models of the respective large-scale bioreactors. A few other less common designs such as illuminated plastic bags or aquarium tanks are also used mainly because of their relatively low cost, but up-scaling of these designs is challenging with additional light-driven issues. Finally, this review covers recommendations on the criteria for photobioreactor selection and operation while up-scaling of phototrophic bioprocesses with microalgae or cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Benner
- Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Chair of Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Boltzmannstraße 15, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Lisa Meier
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Boltzmannstraße 15, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Annika Pfeffer
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Boltzmannstraße 15, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Konstantin Krüger
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Boltzmannstraße 15, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - José Enrique Oropeza Vargas
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Boltzmannstraße 15, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Dirk Weuster-Botz
- Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Chair of Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Boltzmannstraße 15, 85748, Garching, Germany.
- Technical University of Munich, TUM-AlgaeTec Center, 85521, Taufkirchen, Germany.
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Volpe C, Vadstein O, Andersen G, Andersen T. Nanocosm: a well plate photobioreactor for environmental and biotechnological studies. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2027-2039. [PMID: 34008610 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01250e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton are key primary producers at the bottom of the aquatic food chain. They are a highly diverse group of organisms essential for the functioning of our ecosystems and because of their characteristics, their biomass is considered for various commercial applications. A full appreciation of their abundance, diversity and potential is only feasible by using systems that enable simultaneous testing of strains and/or variables in a fast and easy way. A major bottleneck is the lack of a cost-effective method with the capacity for complex experimental set-ups that enable fast and reproducible screening and analysis. In this study, we present nanocosm, a versatile LED-based micro-scale photobioreactor (PBR) that allows simultaneous testing of multiple variables such as temperature and light within the same plate. Every well can be independently controlled for intensity, temporal variation and light type (RGB, white, UV). We show that our systems guarantee homogeneous conditions because of controlled temperature and evaporation and adjustments for light crosstalk. By ensuring controlled environmental conditions the nanocosm is suitable for running factorial experimental designs where each well can be used as an independent micro-PBR. To validate culture performances, we assess well-to-well reproducibility and our results show minimal well-to-well variability for all the conditions tested. Possible modes of operation and application are discussed together with future development of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Volpe
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Olav Vadstein
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | | | - Tom Andersen
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology (AQUA), University of Oslo, N-0316, Oslo, Norway
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LaPanse AJ, Krishnan A, Posewitz MC. Adaptive Laboratory Evolution for algal strain improvement: methodologies and applications. ALGAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2020.102122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Nedbal J, Gao L, Suhling K. Bottom-illuminated orbital shaker for microalgae cultivation. HARDWAREX 2020; 8:e00143. [PMID: 33442569 PMCID: PMC7786639 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2020.e00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A bottom-illuminated orbital shaker designed for the cultivation of microalgae suspensions is described in this open-source hardware report. The instrument agitates and illuminates microalgae suspensions grown inside flasks. It was optimized for low production cost, simplicity, low power consumption, design flexibility, consistent, and controllable growth light intensity. The illuminated orbital shaker is especially well suited for low-resource research laboratories and education. It is an alternative to commercial instruments for microalgae cultivation. It improves on typical do-it-yourself microalgae growth systems by offering consistent and well characterized illumination light intensity. The illuminated growth area is 20 cm × 15 cm, which is suitable for three T75 tissue culture flasks or six 100 ml Erlenmeyer flasks. The photosynthetic photon flux density, is variable in eight steps ( 26 - 800 μ mol · m - 2 · s - 1 ) and programmable in a 24-h light/dark cycle. The agitation speed is variable ( 0 - 210 RPM ). The overall material cost is around £300, including an entry-level orbital shaker. The build takes two days, requiring electronics and mechanical assembly capabilities. The instrument build is documented in a set of open-source protocols, design files, and source code. The design can be readily modified, scaled, and adapted for other orbital shakers and specific experimental requirements. The instrument function was validated by growing fresh-water microalgae Desmodesmus quadricauda and Chlorella vulgaris. The cultivation protocols, microalgae growth curves, and doubling times are included in this report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Nedbal
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Lu Gao
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences/Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, D-52428 Jülich, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University, Universität Straße 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Suhling
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
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Kusmayadi A, Suyono EA, Nagarajan D, Chang JS, Yen HW. Application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) on the raceway design for the cultivation of microalgae: a review. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:373-382. [PMID: 32240448 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02273-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Microalgae are a potential solution to supersede fossil fuels and produce renewable energy. The major obstacle to the commercialization of microalgae-based biofuels is the high production cost, including nutritional requirements, photobioreactor design, and downstream processes. As for the photobioreactor design, open ponds have been adopted by major commercial plants for their economic advantages. Raceway is a popular type among open ponds. Nevertheless, the fluid dynamics of the raceway operation is quite complex. Software simulation based on Computational Fluid Dynamics is an upcoming strategy for optimizing raceway design. The optimization intends to affect light penetration, particle distribution, mass transfer, and biological kinetics. This review discusses how this strategy can be helpful to design a highly productive raceway pond-based microalgal culture system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Kusmayadi
- Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Eko Agus Suyono
- Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Dillirani Nagarajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jo-Shu Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Developmental Center for Circular Resources and Valorization Technology, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Wei Yen
- Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Morschett H, Loomba V, Huber G, Wiechert W, von Lieres E, Oldiges M. Laboratory-scale photobiotechnology-current trends and future perspectives. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 365:4604817. [PMID: 29126108 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phototrophic bioprocesses are a promising puzzle piece in future bioeconomy concepts but yet mostly fail for economic reasons. Besides other aspects, this is mainly attributed to the omnipresent issue of optimal light supply impeding scale-up and -down of phototrophic processes according to classic established concepts. This MiniReview examines two current trends in photobiotechnology, namely microscale cultivation and modeling and simulation. Microphotobioreactors are a valuable and promising trend with microfluidic chips and microtiter plates as predominant design concepts. Providing idealized conditions, chip systems are preferably to be used for acquiring physiological data of microalgae while microtiter plate systems are more appropriate for process parameter and medium screenings. However, these systems are far from series technology and significant improvements especially regarding flexible light supply remain crucial. Whereas microscale is less addressed by modeling and simulation so far, benchtop photobioreactor design and operation have successfully been studied using such tools. This particularly includes quantitative model-assisted understanding of mixing, mass transfer, light dispersion and particle tracing as well as their relevance for microalgal performance. The ultimate goal will be to combine physiological data from microphotobioreactors with hybrid models to integrate metabolism and reactor simulation in order to facilitate knowledge-based scale transfer of phototrophic bioprocesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Morschett
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Varun Loomba
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany.,IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Gregor Huber
- IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Marco Oldiges
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Evolutionary engineering of industrial microorganisms-strategies and applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:4615-4627. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8937-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Morschett H, Freier L, Rohde J, Wiechert W, von Lieres E, Oldiges M. A framework for accelerated phototrophic bioprocess development: integration of parallelized microscale cultivation, laboratory automation and Kriging-assisted experimental design. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:26. [PMID: 28163783 PMCID: PMC5282810 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0711-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Even though microalgae-derived biodiesel has regained interest within the last decade, industrial production is still challenging for economic reasons. Besides reactor design, as well as value chain and strain engineering, laborious and slow early-stage parameter optimization represents a major drawback. RESULTS The present study introduces a framework for the accelerated development of phototrophic bioprocesses. A state-of-the-art micro-photobioreactor supported by a liquid-handling robot for automated medium preparation and product quantification was used. To take full advantage of the technology's experimental capacity, Kriging-assisted experimental design was integrated to enable highly efficient execution of screening applications. The resulting platform was used for medium optimization of a lipid production process using Chlorella vulgaris toward maximum volumetric productivity. Within only four experimental rounds, lipid production was increased approximately threefold to 212 ± 11 mg L-1 d-1. Besides nitrogen availability as a key parameter, magnesium, calcium and various trace elements were shown to be of crucial importance. Here, synergistic multi-parameter interactions as revealed by the experimental design introduced significant further optimization potential. CONCLUSIONS The integration of parallelized microscale cultivation, laboratory automation and Kriging-assisted experimental design proved to be a fruitful tool for the accelerated development of phototrophic bioprocesses. By means of the proposed technology, the targeted optimization task was conducted in a very timely and material-efficient manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Morschett
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Lars Freier
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Jannis Rohde
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Marco Oldiges
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Morschett H, Schiprowski D, Rohde J, Wiechert W, Oldiges M. Comparative evaluation of phototrophic microtiter plate cultivation against laboratory-scale photobioreactors. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2017; 40:663-673. [DOI: 10.1007/s00449-016-1731-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Krujatz F, Fehse K, Jahnel M, Gommel C, Schurig C, Lindner F, Bley T, Weber J, Steingroewer J. MicrOLED-photobioreactor: Design and characterization of a milliliter-scale Flat-Panel-Airlift-photobioreactor with optical process monitoring. ALGAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2016.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Morschett H, Schiprowski D, Müller C, Mertens K, Felden P, Meyer J, Wiechert W, Oldiges M. Design and validation of a parallelized micro-photobioreactor enabling phototrophic bioprocess development at elevated throughput. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 114:122-131. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Holger Morschett
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; Institute of Bio- and Geosciences; IBG-1: Biotechnology Jülich Germany
| | - Danny Schiprowski
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; Institute of Bio- and Geosciences; IBG-1: Biotechnology Jülich Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; Institute of Bio- and Geosciences; IBG-1: Biotechnology Jülich Germany
| | - Marco Oldiges
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; Institute of Bio- and Geosciences; IBG-1: Biotechnology Jülich Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology; RWTH Aachen University; Aachen Germany
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Morschett H, Wiechert W, Oldiges M. Automation of a Nile red staining assay enables high throughput quantification of microalgal lipid production. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:34. [PMID: 26861538 PMCID: PMC4748563 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0433-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Within the context of microalgal lipid production for biofuels and bulk chemical applications, specialized higher throughput devices for small scale parallelized cultivation are expected to boost the time efficiency of phototrophic bioprocess development. However, the increasing number of possible experiments is directly coupled to the demand for lipid quantification protocols that enable reliably measuring large sets of samples within short time and that can deal with the reduced sample volume typically generated at screening scale. To meet these demands, a dye based assay was established using a liquid handling robot to provide reproducible high throughput quantification of lipids with minimized hands-on-time. Results Lipid production was monitored using the fluorescent dye Nile red with dimethyl sulfoxide as solvent facilitating dye permeation. The staining kinetics of cells at different concentrations and physiological states were investigated to successfully down-scale the assay to 96 well microtiter plates. Gravimetric calibration against a well-established extractive protocol enabled absolute quantification of intracellular lipids improving precision from ±8 to ±2 % on average. Implementation into an automated liquid handling platform allows for measuring up to 48 samples within 6.5 h, reducing hands-on-time to a third compared to manual operation. Moreover, it was shown that automation enhances accuracy and precision compared to manual preparation. It was revealed that established protocols relying on optical density or cell number for biomass adjustion prior to staining may suffer from errors due to significant changes of the cells’ optical and physiological properties during cultivation. Alternatively, the biovolume was used as a measure for biomass concentration so that errors from morphological changes can be excluded. Conclusions The newly established assay proved to be applicable for absolute quantification of algal lipids avoiding limitations of currently established protocols, namely biomass adjustment and limited throughput. Automation was shown to improve data reliability, as well as experimental throughput simultaneously minimizing the needed hands-on-time to a third. Thereby, the presented protocol meets the demands for the analysis of samples generated by the upcoming generation of devices for higher throughput phototrophic cultivation and thereby contributes to boosting the time efficiency for setting up algae lipid production processes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-016-0433-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Morschett
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Marco Oldiges
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany.
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