Microalgae fermentation using controlled Illumination
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Publication Number
US-9932554-B2
Publication Date
2018-04-03
Expiration Date
Abstract
Bioreactors and methods for cultivating microalgae are provided herein. The bioreactor and methods include features and modifications to improve heterotrophic growth efficiency by providing a light signal.
Core Innovation
A method is provided for cultivating a microalgae capable of heterotrophic growth to produce a material from the microalgae. The method incubates the microalgae under a heterotrophic growth condition that includes a media consisting essentially of a carbon source, while the microalgae comprises photoreceptors including phytochromes or cryptochromes. The heterotrophic growth condition includes an irradiance of blue light between 0.01 and 3 μmol photons/m2s, where the light is generated using a corresponding blue light filter or a red light filter to transduce a photoreceptor and initiate light-activated metabolisms.
The material produced is a polysaccharide, a pigment or a lipid. The method selects the microalgae from the group consisting of Neochloris oleabundans UTEX 1185 and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UTEX 2243, thereby producing the material. The heterotrophic growth condition is characterized by carbon-source-based incubation combined with blue light filter or red light filter light generation to initiate the light-activated metabolisms through the photoreceptors.
A related method of manufacturing a material is also provided by culturing a microalgae capable of producing the material in a carbon-source-essential media while applying defined irradiance conditions for blue light and red light. The method further requires allowing the microalgae to accumulate at least 10% of its dry cell weight as the material. In addition, a bioreactor system is provided that includes a bioreactor with a culture medium consisting essentially of a carbon source, microalgae adapted for heterotrophic growth, and a coupled light source producing blue and red light irradiance in the specified ranges generated using corresponding filters, with the microalgae comprising photoreceptors including phytochromes or cryptochromes.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claims, covering heterotrophic microalgae cultivation for material production, a manufacturing method requiring accumulation of dry cell weight as the material, and a bioreactor system with a coupled filtered blue/red light source and specified microalgae and photoreceptor features.
Heterotrophic cultivation with photoreceptors and filtered blue light to initiate light-activated metabolisms
Incubating microalgae capable of heterotrophic growth under a heterotrophic growth condition comprising a media consisting essentially of a carbon source, and photoreceptors including phytochromes or cryptochromes, wherein the heterotrophic growth condition comprises an irradiance of blue light between 0.01 and 3 μmol photons/m2s generated using a corresponding blue light filter or red light filter, and the irradiance transduces a photoreceptor to initiate light-activated metabolisms.
Material production as polysaccharide, pigment, or lipid using selected microalgae strains
Producing a material that is a polysaccharide, a pigment or a lipid, where the microalgae is selected from the group consisting of Neochloris oleabundans UTEX 1185 strain and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UTEX 2243 strain.
Manufacturing with defined blue and red filtered-light irradiance and at least 10% dry cell weight accumulation
Culturing a microalgae capable of producing the material in a media consisting essentially of a carbon source, while applying an irradiance of blue light between 0.01 and 3 μmol photons/m2s and red light between 0.01 and 2 μmol photons/m2s generated using corresponding blue light filter or red light filter, and allowing the microalgae to accumulate at least 10% of its dry cell weight as the material, where the microalgae comprises photoreceptors including phytochromes or cryptochromes.
Manufacturing material types including polysaccharide, pigment, lipid, or hydrocarbon with selected strains
Producing a material selected as a polysaccharide, a pigment, a lipid, or a hydrocarbon, where the microalgae is selected from the group consisting of Neochloris oleabundans UTEX 1185 strain and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UTEX 2243 strain.
Bioreactor with carbon-source media and coupled filtered blue/red light irradiance for heterotrophic microalgae
Providing a bioreactor with a culture medium consisting essentially of a carbon source located inside the bioreactor, microalgae adapted for heterotrophic growth located in the culture media, and a light source operatively coupled to the bioreactor, wherein the light source produces an irradiance of blue light between 0.01 and 3 μmol photons/m2s and red light between 0.01 and 2 μmol photons/m2s generated using corresponding blue light filter or red light filter.
Bioreactor system with photoreceptors and selected microalgae strains
In the bioreactor system, specifying that the microalgae comprises photoreceptors including phytochromes or cryptochromes, and that the microalgae is selected from the group consisting of Neochloris oleabundans UTEX 1185 strain and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UTEX 2243 strain.
Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on heterotrophic microalgae cultivation and manufacturing, and a bioreactor system that combine a carbon-source-based medium with defined blue and/or red filtered light irradiance ranges. The claims further require photoreceptors including phytochromes or cryptochromes, specify material accumulation and material types, and restrict microalgae to Neochloris oleabundans UTEX 1185 and/or Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UTEX 2243.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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