Life (Aug 2022)

Cultivation of <i>Chlorella sorokiniana</i> IPPAS C-1 in Flat-Panel Photobioreactors: From a Laboratory to a Pilot Scale

  • David A. Gabrielyan,
  • Maria A. Sinetova,
  • Boris V. Gabel,
  • Alexander K. Gabrielian,
  • Alexandra G. Markelova,
  • Margarita V. Rodionova,
  • Vladimir S. Bedbenov,
  • Natalia V. Shcherbakova,
  • Dmitry A. Los

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/life12091309
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 9
p. 1309

Abstract

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Flat-panel photobioreactors are effective systems for microalgae cultivation. This paper presents the growth characteristics of the microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana IPPAS C-1 as a result of three-stage scale-up cultivation in a specially designed cultivation system. First, C. sorokiniana was grown aseptically in 250 mL glass vessels; then, it was diluted and inoculated into a 5-liter flat-panel horizontal photobioreactor; and, at the last stage, the culture was diluted and inoculated into a 70-liter flat-panel vertical photobioreactor. In the presented cycle, the cultured biomass increased by 326 times in 13 days (from 0.6 to 195.6 g dw), with a final biomass concentration of 2.8 g dw L−1. The modes of semi-continuous cultivation were considered. The biomass harvest and dilution of the suspension were carried out either every day or every 3–4 days. For C. sorokiniana IPPAS C-1, a conversion coefficient of optical density values to dry biomass (g L−1) was refined through a factor of 0.33. The key parameters of the photobioreactors tested in this work are discussed.

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