Bioreactors for Algae Seed Train Inoculum to Maximize Production in Massive Systems

What is the Future of Algae Production: Scaling and Efficiency?

Producing algae as a commodity for feed, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, carotenoids, and pigments requires extensive infrastructure.  Executing this production at scale and making it economical requires large-scale installations such as raceway ponds or extensive tubular systems. Although the efficiency of these systems hinges on a critical factor: the inoculum/upscaling of uncontaminated, high-quality algae to kickstart production, a lot of reliable inoculum is required to keep these systems running.

What are the Challenges of Traditional Algae Cultivation Methods?

Traditional methods, specifically using laboratory processes (flask and carboy culture), present a challenge to cultivating pure algae to start these massive systems.  We all know that producing algae this way is highly labour-intensive and requires precision and care from the individuals growing it. This complexity often pushes many producers toward compromise, leading them to resort to less biosecure systems. While these systems might be convenient, they come with their own set of issues. They inadvertently pave the way for contaminant organisms, especially nuisances like algal grazers and prolific bacteria. Once these contaminants gain a foothold early in the culture process, they replicate with the algae. The results are extremely detrimental, shaving off both the longevity and daily yields of the large-scale culture.

What are Industrial Plankton’s Photobioreactors (PBRs)?

Our bioreactors, designed and built by Industrial Plankton in Canada, are equipped with automated control of vital parameters. They are optimized to produce a reliable, biosecure inoculum for massive systems. These PBRs can be set up to harvest continuously, in batch, or in semi-continuous batch mode, and are modular. As a result, they are flexible and able to support any scale of inoculum requirements. Our PBRs not only address the labour challenges associated with lab-scale microalgae cultivation but also enhance the process’s biosecurity. Larger systems are inherently more complex to keep clean. Using scaled-down versions of larger systems to generate inoculum for a massive system is likely to introduce contaminants often present in larger systems. By using our PBRs for algae seed train inoculum, which are essentially 1200 L carboys, inoculating your massive system becomes a breeze, efficient, clean, easy, and straightforward.

Are you ready to save time, resources and hit those project milestones? Explore our algae production equipment here.