Microalgae and cyanobacteria are unicellular microorganisms that have the ability to carry out photosynthesis. That is, they are capable of generating organic biomass from CO2 and light, using water as an electron donor, oxidizing it to O2.
Microalgae and cyanobacteria differ in many ways, especially in that the first ones are eukaryotes and the second ones are prokaryotes, but from the point of view of process engineering, the relevant thing is that they grow using light as energy and CO2 as a carbon source. Of course, they have different nutritional requirements, especially considering that many cyanobacteria can fix atmospheric N2, while microalgae need nitrogenous species such as nitrate, ammonium or amino acids.
However, as our goal is to make them grow at maximum speed and productivity, we will design the systems so that they are always saturated with inorganic nutrients and grow limited by light, which is the scarce and expensive resource. Therefore, we will design in the same way the ftobioreactors for both microalgae and cyanobacteria.
5 surprising applications of the cultivation of microalgae
The micro algae open up a world of possibilities when it comes to obtaining renewable energies, raw materials or sustainable and healthy active ingredients destined to endless uses, such as food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals.
1. Produce biofuels
Micro algae can produce biomass for the production of biofuel of different types, such as biodiesel, ethanol, methane or hydrogen. Its production usually starts with the selection of the species of micro algae that will be used, usually from those available in the local environment.
Subsequently the design and implementation of the cultivation system is carried out, periodically harvesting and extracting the oil from it. From this, finally, the raw material used in the biofuel production unit is obtained.
As producers of green fuel, it is decisive that microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms with a unicellular structure, because thanks to them they grow rapidly. Basically, they reproduce through photosynthesis, converting sunlight into chemical energy naturally, that is, as part of their life cycle.
2. Polluted water cleaning
Among other advantages of the cultivation of micro algae should be noted its great ease when growing them. In addition to being able to develop in tanks that locate in a thousand places, such as roofs, ships or spaces specially designed for that purpose, they feed on nutrients that are contaminants.
Among other sources from which to obtain them, besides the CO2 of the air, we find in wastewater a very interesting resource. On the one hand, it makes it possible to use waters unfit for human consumption for cultivation, while at the same time they can be cultivated in natural places solved to improve the quality of degraded waters.
3. Sustainable cosmetics
The cultivation of cyanobacteria allows to improve the cosmetic formulas, providing a greater tolerance to possible allergies, that is, minimizing adverse reactions and achieving also a greater moisturizing power.
At the environmental level, it helps to make the formulation biodegradable, although in the end everything will depend on the rest of the ingredients, logically. Theirs, however, is to design entirely biological formulations to maximize their potential benefits.
4. CO2 absorption
Another of the most outstanding utilities of micro algae takes advantage of its performance as carbon dioxide sinks. The explanation is very simple, since they are organisms that capture solar energy and accumulate it in their fats through photosynthesis, which absorb CO2 and emit oxygen.
By absorbing or trapping that CO2 we clean interior or exterior atmospheres and get nutrients for micro algae. It is a clean technology, which does not generate toxic or dangerous waste, providing very high yields. From these micro algae, likewise, they can be used in very different processes.
5. Climatize and isolate buildings
The obtaining of green energy for the generation of energy for heating and air conditioning is the goal fulfilled of the installation that we find in an avant-garde four-story building that rises in the city of Hamburg, in Germany.
Baptized with the name of house Bio Intelligent Quotient, it produces energy through its original facade, partially covered with thin glass panels that act as containers for an automated cultivation of micro algae.
The location on the façade is key, because with it you can give them the sun throughout the day (they are adjustable panels), necessary to perform photosynthesis and thus grow faster, while acting as insulation from the cold and heat, in addition of noise, which also achieves greater energy efficiency.
Endless possibilities
These five uses do not by far exhaust the exploitation possibilities of micro algae. Among other applications, we can use them as raw material for the manufacture of biofertilizers, food supplements, vitamins, pigments and a long list of compounds with great applications in very different industrial sectors.
Moreover, its cultivation allows multiple exploitation, with which the advantages are even greater. On the one hand, microalgae can absorb CO2 from the greenhouse gas emissions of the industry and then produce some or other products.
The possibilities do not stop increasing as new processes are discovered or developing existing ones. From producing fats, oil, natural dyes, fatty acids, oil, sugars, organic fertilizers or antioxidants, say, to the processing of biomass to obtain energy.
I hope you have enjoyed this introduction to the world of microalgae cultivation, soon I will share a little more. Greetings!