Enhanced Photosynthetic Pigment Production Using a Scaled-Up Continuously Circulated Bioreactor

• Published in: Marine drugs 2023-11, Vol.21 (11), p.576
• Main Authors: Lee, Won-Kyu, Ryu, Yong-Kyun, Kim, Taeho, Park, Areumi, Lee, Yeon-Ji, Sunwoo, In Yung, Koh, Eun-Jeong, Oh, Chulhong, Choi, Woon-Yong, Kang, Do-Hyung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Antimicrobial agents; Biomass; Bioreactors; Bubble columns; Bubbles; Carotene; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - analysis; Cell culture; Cells; Chemical properties; Chlorophyll; Chlorophyll A; Culture Media; Dry weight; Flow cytometry; Food industry; Green algae; Innovations; Laboratories; Light; Microalgae; Photosynthesis; photosynthetic pigment; Photosynthetic pigments; Phytoplankton; Pigments; pilot scale; Plant pigments; Production processes; Productivity; ROSEMAX; scale-up; Scaling; Sedimentation & deposition; Tetraselmis; Tetraselmis sp
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md21110576

Microalgae have gained attention as a promising source of chlorophylls and carotenoids in various industries. However, scaling up of conventional bubble columns presents challenges related to cell sedimentation and the presence of non-photosynthetic cells due to non-circulating zones and decreased light accessibility, respectively. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the newly developed continuously circulated bioreactor ROSEMAX at both laboratory and pilot scales, compared to a conventional bubble column. There was no significant difference in the biomass production and photosynthetic pigment content of sp. cultivated at the laboratory scale ( > 0.05). However, at the pilot scale, the biomass cultured in ROSEMAX showed significantly high biomass (1.69 ± 0.11 g/L, dry weight, DW), chlorophyll- (14.60 ± 0.76 mg/g, DW), and total carotene (5.64 ± 0.81 mg/g, DW) concentrations compared to the conventional bubble column (1.17 ± 0.11 g/L, DW, 10.67 ± 0.72 mg/g, DW, 3.21 ± 0.56 mg/g, DW, respectively) ( ≤ 0.05). Flow cytometric analyses confirmed that the proportion of sp. live cells in the culture medium of ROSEMAX was 32.90% higher than that in the conventional bubble column, with a photosynthetic efficiency 1.14 times higher. These results support suggestions to use ROSEMAX as a bioreactor for industrial-scale applications.