Internally lit photobioreactors for enhanced product formation from algae using LED systems: Energy transformed into high value chemical products

藻类是一个令人难以置信的多样化的生物群体，它们在经济和科学上变得越来越重要，有可能提供高效的低碳过程，而不会竞争粮食生产或土地使用。然而，使用这些生物体的大规模工艺受到使用自然光的要求的束缚，尽管自然光是免费的，但其强度、质量和周期性取决于天气条件而不可预测。自然光还限制了潜在的光生物反应器（PBR）几何形状、管道和管状PBR，使得大规模操作成问题，不可靠，降低了这些系统的生产率。内部照明的PBR可以通过高质量、高价值藻类的集约化生产来彻底改变这些，并使用合成生物学的工具来开发这些系统的安全生产能力。因此，该项目旨在调查内部点燃PBR的。这是生物学家、物理学家和工程师的多学科合作。我们将设计、建造和测试内部照明的光伏发电系统，这些系统比传统的自然照明系统具有更高的生产率和能力。从表面上看，内部照明PBR的投资和成本比自然照明系统高得多，然而，这可以通过在高度受控的照明环境中生长和操纵藻类的潜在优势和好处来补偿。这包括更有效地使用由LED提供的光，LED具有窄光谱和容易控制的强度，从而降低生产成本。LED照明的复杂使用也提供了令人兴奋的机会来控制和监测生物化学成分和产品形成，其中大部分受到光的质量和强度的影响。有了内部照明，反应堆也可以在三维空间中缩放，并且不受自然光的影响。反应器可以针对不同的产品进行定制和优化，并简化了基因工程藻类开发的策略，可以安全地实施。该项目将重点测试新型柔性PBR设计，以实现这种方法的潜力。这项工作包括5个工作包（i）选择和使用LED的新方法的发展。(ii)照明板的开发，其中LED将安装在反应器内的轻质照明板的内部，这也促进了良好的传热和传质。还将开发照明控制系统，以最大限度地减少能源消耗，同时允许藻类的有效生长和产品形成。(iii)PBR系统将设计为在1 m3规模下运行，该规模将足以允许这些系统的简单规模。（iv）反应器将建造、调试和表征。(v)这些内部点燃的PBR概念将集中在高价值产品的形成，并将与雨生红球藻进行测试和评估，用于生产细胞和虾青素。

Algae are an incredibly diverse group of organisms that are becoming increasing important of economically and scientific interest the potential providing efficient low carbon processes that will not compete for food production or land use. However, large scale processes using these organisms are hamstrung by the requirement to use natural light which although it is free is unpredictable in intensity, quality and periodicity being dependent weather conditions. Natural light also restricts potential photobioreactor (PBR) geometries, raceways and tubular PBR's making large scale operation problematic, unreliable reducing the productivity of these systems. Internally lit PBR's could revolutionise these with the intensive production of high quality, high value algae and open up the field to exploitation using the tools of synthetic biology to develop the safe productive capacity these systems. The project therefore aims to investigate internally lit PBR's. This is multidisciplinary collaboration of biologists, physicists and engineers. We will design, construct and test internally lit PBRs have substantially higher productivity and capability over conventionally natural lit systems. On the face on it, the investment and cost of internally lit PBR's are much higher than natural lit systems, however, this can more than compensated by the potential advantages and benefits of growing and manipulating algae in highly controlled lighting environments. This includes more efficient use of light that is provided by LED's which has narrow spectra and easily controlled intensity reducing the cost of production. The sophisticated use of LED lighting also offers up exciting opportunities to control and monitor biochemical composition and product formation much of which is influenced by the quality and intensity of light. With internal lighting reactors can also be scaled in three dimensions and are independent of natural light. Reactors can be tailored and optimised for different products and simplified the strategies for the development of genetically engineered algae can be safely implemented. The project will focus on the testing of novel flexible PBR design to realise the potential of this approach. The work consists of 5 work packages (i) The development of new methods of selection and use of LED's. (ii) The development of lighting plates where LED's will be mounted internally of light weight lighting plates within the reactor that also facilitating good heat and mass transfer. Lighting control systems will also be developed to minimise energy consumption while allowing efficient growth and product formation of algae. (iii) The PBR systems will be designed an operated at 1 m3 scale which will be sufficient scale to allow easy scale of these systems (iv) The reactor will constructed, commission and characterised. (v) These internally lit PBR concepts will be centred on high value product formation and will be tested and evaluated with Heamotoccus pluvalis for the production of cells and astaxanthin.