Journal
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
Volume 73, Issue 2, Pages 197-200Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/S0960-8524(99)00171-6
Keywords
photobioreactor; ultrafiltration; immersed membranes; backflushing; continuous production; pigment
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A new photobioreactor coupled with an ultrafiltration system (immersed membranes) was investigated for the continuous culture of the microalga Haslea ostrearia in order to improve pigment (marennine) production and recovery. The system presents a commercial interest, because energetic costs were minimized, and the cells were not submitted to any shear stress due to pumping or circulation. To obtain this, since the photobioreactor was of cylindrical type, a membrane module was placed at the bottom of the reactor and the hydrostatic pressure (the height of the water column) used as driving force both for the permeation and periodical backflushing steps. The production of biomass and marennine was stable for a three-week period, with marennine specific productivity approximate to 30-35 mg 10(-9) cell day(-1), marennine concentration approximate to 3 times higher than in a conventional batch photobioreactor. The permeation Aux obtained was acceptable (3-10 l h(-1) m(-2), 3 kPa, 15 degrees C), but for such applications, this type of integrated process needs further improvements. Owing to its simple design, the concept photobioreactor - ultrafiltration with immersed membranes has good possibilities in biotechnology and aquaculture for continuous extraction of exocellular metabolites. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
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