Cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis for astaxanthin production on angled bench-scale and large-scale biofilm-based photobioreactors

Abstract

The green microalga, Haematococcus pluvialis, is currently cultivated for natural astaxanthin in suspended systems. Immobilised cultivation in a twinlayer (TL) porous substrate bioreactor is a potential revolution in microalgal biotechnology worldwide. For the first time in Vietnam, small-scale (0.05 m2) and large-scale (2 m2) biofilm-based photobioreactor systems arranged at an angle of 15o were successfully designed, assembled, and operated; the temperature, humidity, air, and light conditions for H. pluvialis cultivation were successfully controlled. Studies were conducted of both systems to determine the optimal storage time of algae after harvest from suspension before inoculation into the TL system, carbon dioxide supply method, light intensity, and initial cell density. In the 0.05 m2 and 2 m2 systems, dry biomass productivity reached 12 g m-2d-1 (3% astaxanthin content in the dry biomass) and 11.25 g m-2d-1 (2.8% astaxanthin) after 10 days of cultivation. The 2 m2 biofilm-based photobioreactor system provides many advantages in scaling up astaxanthin production from H. pluvialis.

Keywords

• astaxanthin production
• biofilm-based photobioreactor
• Haematococcus pluvialis
• twin-layer porous
• twin-layer system