INFRARED BIOCHEMICAL SENSOR FOR ALGAL PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT

The focus of this project is the development of a real-time sensor for monitoring chemicals in algae growth medium. The goals of the project are as follows:Development of Key Sensor Elements: This involves creating the essential components of the sensor, particularly an optical waveguide coated with pre-concentration materials. These materials are crucial for enhancing the specificity and sensitivity of the sensor towards detecting key nutrients and extracellular metabolites in the algal growth medium.Sensor Validation in Algal Production: This goal focuses on testing and confirming the sensor's effectiveness in real-world algal production environments. Validation ensures that the sensor performs accurately and reliably in monitoring nutrient uptake and metabolite release in various settings, including laboratory, industrial, and pond-based bioreactors.Enabling Automation and Process Control: By integrating the sensor into algal growth systems, this goal aims to facilitate inline monitoring and automated adjustments to growth conditions. This will help ensure consistent algal growth, increase production yields, and minimize operational costs by allowing timely detection of stress signals and efficient process control.