Programmable photobioreactors for studies of microalgae growth dynamics
Bioreactors,algae,optmization,automation
Most of the free energy available on the surface of the Earth comes from
sunlight, and photosynthesis uses this natural resource to sustain almost all
known forms of life. Such a process took billions of years to evolve and became
the primary energy transformation process in our planet. Microalgae stand out
among the many photosynthetic organisms because of their relative simplicity and
variety.
In this work, a network of computer-controlled photobioreactors for
precise studies of the microalgae growth dynamics was developed and tested. These
reactors can be used to characterize a given species or strain of microalgae as a
function of the physical parameters that condition the development of the culture.
They can also be used to study the microalgae response to stress
conditions, adaptation to environmental changes, and the search for optimized culture parameters.