INFRARED BIOCHEMICAL SENSOR FOR ALGAL PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT

This proposal addresses the need for inline monitoring of algae growth medium to enable process control in laboratory, industrial and pond-based bioreactors to improve the efficiency of algal production.We propose the development of infrared-based sensor for integration in laboratory and field-based (pond) bioreactors.The sensor will enable a transition from "blind" operations that rely on technicians' experience to automated system controls.This will lead to scalable algal production, reduced failure events, and optimization of the C/N ratio of nutrient supply required for the production of specific lipid/protein biomass content.The proposed sensor targets applications in research and industrial production settings, enabling efficient scaling, process optimization, and consistent production of biomass content, resulting in reduced production costs.