Method of mixotrophic culturing of microalgae in a flexible bioreactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016289628-A1
Application number	US-201615142913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some embodiments include a method of culturing one or more microalgae. The method can include: inoculating a bioreactor with the one or more microalgae and a fluidic support medium, the bioreactor having one or more bioreactor walls at least partially enclosing a bioreactor cavity, being configured to be at least one of folded up or rolled up, and being sterile when the bioreactor is inoculated with the one or more microalgae, the one or more bioreactor walls comprising at least one bioreactor wall material, and the at least one bioreactor wall material being flexible and at least partially transparent; and vitally supporting the one or more microalgae. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of culturing one or more microalgae, the method comprising:
inoculating a bioreactor with the one or more microalgae and a fluidic support medium, the bioreactor comprising one or more bioreactor walls at least partially enclosing a bioreactor cavity, being configured to be at least one of folded up or rolled up, and being sterile when the bioreactor is inoculated with the one or more microalgae, the one or more bioreactor walls comprising at least one bioreactor wall material, the at least one bioreactor wall material being flexible and at least partially transparent; and vitally supporting the one or more microalgae; wherein:
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae comprises:
supplying the one or more microalgae with an organic carbon material;
supplying the one or more microalgae with a quantity of light based on the culture density; and
supplying one or more nutritional media to the one or more microalgae when a culture density of the one or more microalgae reaches a threshold culture density.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae further comprises:
operating the bioreactor in substantially axenic conditions.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae further comprises:
mixing the one or more microalgae within the fluidic support medium by injecting gas into the fluidic support medium;

and
the gas comprises gas bubbles having a diameter greater than or equal to approximately 40 micrometers and less than or equal to approximately 2 millimeters.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae further comprises:
mixing the one or more microalgae within the fluidic support medium by injecting gas into the fluidic support medium at a volumetric flow rate of greater than or equal to approximately 10 liters per minute and less than or equal to approximately 60 liters per minute.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor at intervals of 7-12 days.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor at intervals of 10-12 days.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor when the culture density comprises at least approximately 2 grams per liter.

8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor when the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 2 grams per liter and less than or equal to approximately 5 grams per liter.

9 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor when the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 7 grams per liter and less than or equal to approximately 12 grams per liter.

10 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor when the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 7 grams per liter and less than or equal to approximately 10 grams per liter.

11 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
partially harvesting the one or more microalgae from the bioreactor when the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 20 grams per liter and less than or equal to approximately 30 grams per liter.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the organic carbon material comprises acetic acid, acetate, or glucose.

13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
mixing the organic carbon material with at least one of ammonium bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, trace metals, iron, phosphate, phosphate dibasic, or one or more nitrates before supplying the one or more microalgae with the organic carbon material.

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the threshold culture density comprises at least approximately 5 grams per liter.

15 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the threshold culture density comprises at least approximately 15 grams per liter.

16 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
supplying the one or more nutritional media to the one or more microalgae when the culture density of the one or more microalgae reaches the threshold culture density comprises:
supplying the one or more nutritional media to the one or more microalgae each time the culture density of the one or more microalgae increases by the threshold culture density;

and
the threshold culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 2 grams per liter and less than or equal to approximately 3 grams per liter.

17 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more nutritional media comprise at least one of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, trace metals, phosphate dibasic, nitrates, iron, phosphate, or potassium phosphate dibasic.

18 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
supplying the one or more microalgae with the quantity of light based on the culture density comprises:
doubling the quantity of light supplied to the one or more microalgae when the culture density exceeds approximately 0.5 gram per liter.

19 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more microalgae are taxonomically classified in at least one of taxonomic family Chlorellaceae, taxonomic family Haematococcaceae, taxonomic family Scenedesmaceae, taxonomic family Porphyridiaceae, or taxonomic family Chlamydomonadaceae.

20 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more microalgae are taxonomically classified in taxonomic family Haematococcaceae; and
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae further comprises at least one of:
culturing the one or more microalgae such that the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 12 grams per liter; or
culturing the one or more microalgae such that the microalgae grows at an average maximum production rate greater than or equal to approximately 2.5 grams per liter per day.

21 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more microalgae are taxonomically classified in taxonomic family Chlorellaceae; and
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae further comprises at least one of:
culturing the one or more microalgae such that the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 36 grams per liter; or
culturing the one or more microalgae such that the microalgae grows at an average maximum production rate greater than or equal to approximately 9 grams per liter per day.

22 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more microalgae are taxonomically classified in taxonomic family Chlamydomonadaceae; and
vitally supporting the one or more microalgae further comprises at least one of:
culturing the one or more microalgae such that the culture density is greater than or equal to approximately 7 grams per liter; or
culturing the one or more microalgae such that the microalgae grows at an average maximum production rate greater than or equal to approximately 3 grams per liter per day.

Assignees

• Heliae Dev Llc

Inventors

• Cizek Luke
• Olaizola Miquel
• Mccarty Mason
• Oelschlager Mason

Classifications

• C12M21/02 Primary

  Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12) · CPC title

• C12N1/12 Primary

  Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00) · CPC title

• C12M23/26

  flexible (flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505) · CPC title

• C12M37/00

  Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination (C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00) · CPC title

• C12M41/22

  in contact with the bioreactor walls · CPC title