Microalgae Process Design: from cells to photobioreactors

Microalgae and cyanobacteria have the potential to produce a variety of products using light as the only source of energy to fuel metabolism. Among these products are polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments and therapeutic proteins. In addition to these high-value products, microalgae are regarded as one of the most promising resources for the production of bulk products such as food and feed lipids, food and feed proteins, base chemicals and energy sources for the industry, and on a longer term biofuels. To make economical large-scale production of such bulk products possible, the cost price for production needs to be reduced, the scale of production needs to be increased substantially and the biomass value should be maximized.
In this course “Microalgae Process Design: from cells to photobioreactors” the biology and cultivation part are covered. Special emphasis is given to light-limited growth and how this affects reactor design and operation. In addition, gas-liquid transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide is covered as well as techno-economic aspects of scale-up. Finally, the potential of strain improvement with respect to biomass productivity and product accumulation will be addressed.