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Commercial Microalgal Cultivation Systems

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Grand Challenges in Algae Biotechnology

Part of the book series: Grand Challenges in Biology and Biotechnology ((GCBB))

Abstract

Commercial cultivation systems designed to produce microalgal biomass phototrophically (photobioreactors, PBRs) exist in many forms (e.g., open vs. closed, tubular vs. panels, vertical vs. horizontal). Independent of what they look like, their function is the same: to expose the largest fraction of the microalgal cells to optimal production conditions and to do it as economically as possible! Those conditions are dependent both on the target products and on the producing organism. In this chapter, the authors explore different photobioreactor types and how they may cope with changing growth conditions, especially outdoors. It is proposed that a simple productivity model can help to evaluate different photobioreactors and different production strategies. Finally, the authors believe that both open and closed PBRs, including new designs, will enable to close the gap between the reality and the potential of microalgae as economical providers of many products and services.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. OLAS-ALL THINGS ALGAE, LLC, Snowflake, AZ, USA

    Miguel Olaizola

  2. SALATA AG, Ritschenhausen, Germany

    Claudia Grewe

Authors
  1. Miguel Olaizola
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  2. Claudia Grewe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel Olaizola .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology of Plants, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Armin Hallmann

  2. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Pabulo H. Rampelotto

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Olaizola, M., Grewe, C. (2019). Commercial Microalgal Cultivation Systems. In: Hallmann, A., Rampelotto, P. (eds) Grand Challenges in Algae Biotechnology. Grand Challenges in Biology and Biotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25233-5_1

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