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Applied Sciences
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Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth
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Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 17086

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesca Scargiali

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: fluid mechanics; mixing; bioreactors; bioremediation; microalgae; photo-bioreactors; computational fluid dynamics; multi-phase systems; gas-liquid mass transfer; waste heat recovery; supercritical water
Dr. Serena Lima

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: microalgae; photo-bioreactors; bioremediation; growth modelling; flashing lights

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Interest in microalgae production is increasing worldwide due to the wide employment of this biomass in a variety of sectors, such as the production of biomolecules, pharmaceutics, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, biofertilizers, and bioenergy, as well as pollutant removal from wastewater. Despite its attractive potential, process development at an industrial scale, based either on open or closed photobioreactors, is still in its early stages and there is much room for further development, especially in terms of reducing process costs. For this reason, there is an urgent need for new technologies aimed at maximizing the productivity of microalgal systems and/or reducing production costs. Furthermore, there is a lack of instruments which are able to predict the expected production of biomass and biomolecules and are calibrated on realistic scenarios in lab-scale production or industrial production plants.

This Special Issue will present a collection of manuscripts aimed at providing original and new photobioreactor designs or cultivation procedures that shed light on the best practices for algal cultivation. Moreover, it aims to bring together articles which present models able to provide the necessary information to boost microalgal research and the photobioreactor industry and to predict the growth of different microalgae species.

Prof. Dr. Francesca Scargiali
Dr. Serena Lima
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photobioreactor
  • microalgae
  • PBR modelling
  • cultivation
  • microalgae growth
  • photobioreactor design
  • growth modelling
  • microalgae for bioremediation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1432 KiB  
Article
Impact of Perfluorocarbons with Gas Transport Function on Growth of Phototrophic Microorganisms in a Free and Immobilized State and in Consortia with Bacteria
by Olga Senko, Olga Maslova, Aysel Aslanli and Elena Efremenko
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1868; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031868 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1185
Abstract
The effects of the presence of perfluorocarbons (PFC) with a gas transport function in media with different phototrophic microorganisms on their growth rates and the accumulation of their biomass when using free and immobilized cells as inoculums were investigated. The significant increase in [...] Read more.
The effects of the presence of perfluorocarbons (PFC) with a gas transport function in media with different phototrophic microorganisms on their growth rates and the accumulation of their biomass when using free and immobilized cells as inoculums were investigated. The significant increase in the average rate of biomass accumulation as well as levels of biomass accumulation in the presence of various PFCs were established for Chlorella vulgaris cells. When 1 g/L glycerol was introduced into the growth medium with PFCs and C. vulgaris cells, the increase in the rate of biomass accumulation was 9–32%. The maximum intracellular ATP concentrations corresponded to the combination of microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) with bacterial cells (Pseudomonas esterophilus and Rhodoccus ruber) obtained with a mass ratio of 25:1. It provided for the formation of a consortium, which was able to accumulate the maximum amount of microalgae biomass for 3 days in the medium with PFCs and organophosphorus pesticide. The obtained data allow, on the one hand, predicting the growth of microalgae under environmental conditions in media with PFC pollution and, on the other hand, developing approaches to regulation of phototrophic microorganisms’ growth in order to obtain and use their high biomass yields for various purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth)
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17 pages, 2139 KiB  
Article
Modelling Nannochloropsis gaditana Growth in Reactors with Different Geometries, Determination of Kinetic Parameters and Biochemical Analysis in Response to Light Intensity
by Serena Lima, Alberto Brucato, Giuseppe Caputo, Luca Schembri and Francesca Scargiali
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(12), 5776; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12125776 - 7 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Microalgae are unicellular and photosynthetic microorganisms which grow thanks to inorganic salts, CO2 and light, and find applications in several fields thanks to their variety. The industrial application of microalgae has not often been fully exploited because of a lack of information [...] Read more.
Microalgae are unicellular and photosynthetic microorganisms which grow thanks to inorganic salts, CO2 and light, and find applications in several fields thanks to their variety. The industrial application of microalgae has not often been fully exploited because of a lack of information about how microalgae respond to inputs and to different growth environments. In the present work a model able to predict the microalgae growth in reactors with different geometries was developed. We combined a Monod-like model for the specific growth rate with the Lambert-Beer law of homogeneous light distribution in thick photobioreactors. Kinetic parameters related to the cultivation of the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana were obtained, for the first time through batch cultivation under different photon flux densities inside a quasi-isoactinic photobioreactor, in order to obtain a practically homogeneous light distribution. The maximum specific growth rate and saturation constant resulted, respectively as µmax = 0.0256 h−1 and Ik = 15.28 µE s−1m−2. These parameters were applied to the model to obtain data on microalgae growth in different geometries. Model simulation results are presented and discussed. Furthermore, biochemical analysis was performed on the biomass obtained at the end of each batch cultivation, grown both under different light intensities and in reactors with different configurations. Results indicated that lipid content increases with increasing average photon flux density. The fatty acid and carotenoids profiles markedly shift when the average light intensity varies: the PUFA content decreases and the SFA content increases when the average light intensity rises, and an accumulation of carotenoids at lower photon flux densities is observed. In conclusion, the model resulted in a useful tool, able to predict the growth of the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana in reactors with different configurations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth)
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35 pages, 7106 KiB  
Article
Mass Cultivation of Microalgae: I. Experiences with Vertical Column Airlift Photobioreactors, Diatoms and CO2 Sequestration
by Hans Chr. Eilertsen, Gunilla K. Eriksen, John-Steinar Bergum, Jo Strømholt, Edel Elvevoll, Karl-Erik Eilertsen, Eldbjørg Sofie Heimstad, Ingeborg Hulda Giæver, Linn Israelsen, Jon Brage Svenning, Lars Dalheim, Renate Osvik, Espen Hansen, Richard A. Ingebrigtsen, Terje Aspen and Geir-Henning Wintervoll
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 3082; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063082 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6325
Abstract
From 2015 to 2021, we optimized mass cultivation of diatoms in our own developed vertical column airlift photobioreactors using natural and artificial light (LEDs). The project took place at the ferrosilicon producer Finnfjord AS in North Norway as a joint venture with UiT—The [...] Read more.
From 2015 to 2021, we optimized mass cultivation of diatoms in our own developed vertical column airlift photobioreactors using natural and artificial light (LEDs). The project took place at the ferrosilicon producer Finnfjord AS in North Norway as a joint venture with UiT—The Arctic University of Norway. Small (0.1–6–14 m3) reactors were used for initial experiments and to produce inoculum cultures while upscaling experiments took place in a 300 m3 reactor. We here argue that species cultivated in reactors should be large since biovolume specific self-shadowing of light can be lower for large vs. small cells. The highest production, 1.28 cm3 L−1 biovolume (0.09–0.31 g DW day−1), was obtained with continuous culture at ca. 19% light utilization efficiency and 34% CO2 uptake. We cultivated 4–6 months without microbial contamination or biofouling, and this we argue was due to a natural antifouling (anti-biofilm) agent in the algae. In terms of protein quality all essential amino acids were present, and the composition and digestibility of the fatty acids were as required for feed ingredients. Lipid content was ca. 20% of ash-free DW with high EPA levels, and omega-3 and amino acid content increased when factory fume was added. The content of heavy metals in algae cultivated with fume was well within the accepted safety limits. Organic pollutants (e.g., dioxins and PCBs) were below the limits required by the European Union food safety regulations, and bioprospecting revealed several promising findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth)
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19 pages, 4032 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Photobioreactor Type on Biomass and Lipid Production of the Green Microalga Monoraphidium pusillum in Laboratory Scale
by István Bácsi, Fruzsina Tóthfalusi, Kamilla Márton, Viktória B-Béres and Sándor Gonda
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 2196; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042196 - 20 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
Mass production of microorganisms, algae among them, for new bioactive compounds and renewable innovative products is a current issue in biotechnology. The greatest challenge of basic research on this topic is to find the best solution for both physiology and scalability. In this [...] Read more.
Mass production of microorganisms, algae among them, for new bioactive compounds and renewable innovative products is a current issue in biotechnology. The greatest challenge of basic research on this topic is to find the best solution for both physiology and scalability. In this study, the main goal was to highlight the contradictions of physiological and technological optimization in the same, relatively small, laboratory scale. The green alga Monoraphidium pusillum (Printz) Komárková-Legnorová was cultured in a conventional Erlenmeyer flask (as air bubbled in a tank-type photobioreactor) and in a hybrid (fermenter type + helical tubular type) photobioreactor of the same volume (2.8 L). Higher cell numbers from 1.7–2.3-fold, 2–2.8-fold higher dry masses, and 1.9–2.6-fold higher total lipid contents (mg·L−1) were measured in the tank reactor than in the hybrid reactor. Cultures in the conventional tank reactor were characterized with better nutrient utilization (42.8–77.7% higher phosphate uptake) and more diverse lipid composition than in the hybrid reactor. The study highlights that well-scalable arrangements and settings could be not optimal (or unsuitable in some cases) from a physiological point of view. The results suggest certain developmental directions for complex, well-scalable devices and highlight the importance of testing the gained physiological optima on these systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth)
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12 pages, 2089 KiB  
Article
Arthrospira platensis Cultivation in a Bench-Scale Helical Tubular Photobioreactor
by Alessandro Alberto Casazza, Ricardo Pinheiro de Souza Oliveira, Milena Fernandes da Silva, Carlo Solisio, Charles Bronzo Barbosa Farias, Leonie Asfora Sarubbo and Attilio Converti
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031311 - 26 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2397
Abstract
Cultivations of Arthrospira platensis were carried out to evaluate the CO2 capture capacity of this cyanobacterium under bench-scale conditions. For this purpose, the influence of light intensity on the microbial growth and the photosynthetic efficiency has been investigated in a helical photobioreactor. [...] Read more.
Cultivations of Arthrospira platensis were carried out to evaluate the CO2 capture capacity of this cyanobacterium under bench-scale conditions. For this purpose, the influence of light intensity on the microbial growth and the photosynthetic efficiency has been investigated in a helical photobioreactor. Five cultivations were performed at different photosynthetic photon flux densities (23 ≤ PPFD ≤ 225 µmol photons m−2 s−1) by fed-batch pulse-feeding pure carbon dioxide from a cylinder into the helicoidal photobioreactor. In particular, a range of PPFD (82–190 µmol photons m−2 s−1) was identified in which biomass concentration reached values (9–11 gDW L−1) significantly higher than those reported in the literature for other configurations of closed photobioreactors. Furthermore, as A. platensis suspensions behave as Newtonian and non-Newtonian (pseudoplastic) fluids at very low and high biomass concentrations, respectively, a flow analysis was carried out for evaluating the most suitable mixing conditions depending on growth. The results obtained in this study appear to be very promising and suggest the use of this helicoidal photobioreactor configuration to reduce CO2 emissions from industrial gaseous effluents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth)
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Graphical abstract

13 pages, 1143 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Concentration of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) and Aeration Intensity on Waste Glycerol Valorization by Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Produced in Heterotrophic Culture of Schizochytrium sp
by Natalia Kujawska, Szymon Talbierz, Marcin Dębowski, Joanna Kazimierowicz and Marcin Zieliński
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9573; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209573 - 14 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1670
Abstract
The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) production by Schizochytrium sp. biomass fed with waste glycerol depending on the concentration of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the culture medium and medium aeration effectiveness. The microalgae from the genus Schizochytrium [...] Read more.
The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) production by Schizochytrium sp. biomass fed with waste glycerol depending on the concentration of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the culture medium and medium aeration effectiveness. The microalgae from the genus Schizochytrium sp. were proved to be capable of producing EPS composed of glucose, galactose, mannose, fucose, and xylose. The highest EPS concentration, reaching 8.73 ± 0.09 g/dm3, was determined at the stationary growth phase. A high EPS concentration caused culture medium viscosity to increase, contributing to diminished oxygen availability for cells, lower culture effectiveness, and reduced waste glycerol conversion to DHA. The Schizochytrium sp. culture variant found optimal in terms of the obtained technological effects and operating costs was performed at the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient of kLa = 600 1/h, which enabled obtaining dry cell weight (DCW) of 147.89 ± 4.77 g/dm3, lipid concentration of 69.44 ± 0.76 g/dm3, and DHA concentration in the biomass reaching 29.44 ± 0.36 g/dm3. The effectiveness of waste glycerol consumption in this variant reached 3.76 ± 0.31 g/dm3·h and 3.16 ± 0.22 g/gDCW. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling, Development and Optimization of Novel Photobioreactors and Microalgae Growth)
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