Biological and technological constraints in algal biotechnology
2006
Torzillo, G.
A successful coupling of physiology with technology is imperative in order to develop an appropriate algal biotechnology aimed at establishing a new economically viable agro-industry. The basic function of a properly-designed bioreactor is to provide a controlled environment in which it is possible to achieve an optimal growth in and/or product synthesis with the particular microorganism employed. Photobioreactor designs cannot be separated from a basic understanding of both the growth physiology and the microbiology of the photosynthetic organism. The synergistic effects of environmental factors on photosynthesis and on the productivity of microalgae cultures growing under dynamic environmental conditions need to be better understood and quantified. The ability to rapidly monitor their effects on algal photosynthesis could provide biotechnologists with important information necessary for optimizing the productivity of the culture and the design of the photobioreactor. Many valuable ideas of tabular photobioreactor designs have recently been developed. These are aimed at increasing the photosynthetic efficiency of a given culture by lowering the incident PFD on the surface of the tubes, so as to reduce the so-called 'saturation effect' outdoors. However, the disadvantage of most of these designs is, on the one hand, their complexity, and on the other, the lower biomass at the optimal biomass density, which reduces their economic advantage. However, the use of closed reactors is mandatory for many applications, e.g. pharmaceuticals and biological hydrogen production, and in general for growing organisms of commercial interest which cannot be grown in open ponds because of their susceptibility to contamination.
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