Project in Phototrophic biotechnology
Goal and questions：
Improve productivity
Understand the nutrient dense fog's movement through the honeycomb substrate
Simulate fog's movements almost impossible to track
Configure fog nozzles e.g., nozzle placement which may reduce the need for extra nozzles and thus
reduce cost and complexity
Steps：
Learn bioreactor basic assembly and yield capacity // aerosol-based and stationary
Learn biological process of cultivation; factors that affect cultivation
Aerosol particles in reactor is important as the aerosol supplies the cyanobacteria with nutrients and
water
bioreactor set-up and working conditions and key parameters in production e.g., pH, incubation
time, temperature, light density, spray parameters
e.g., optimal CO2 supply is essential
identify specific requirements from the company
housing material selection // surface properties (contact angle) / biocompatible and sustainable /
considering adhesion test between material and cultivated microorganisms
modelling suggestion: use openfoam which is free, open source CFD software, commonly used in
academia
1. CFD simulation used to determine the aerosol distribution / flow and to optimise the bioreactor
and working parameters
2. develop mathematical / empirical models for informing the distribution of light, temperature and
aerosol
a new prototype optimisation and design are required ?
Experimental characterisation (e.g., thickness) of the biofilm product in a noninvasive manner
write technical reports/papers and provide practice suggestions in the real scenario
Wenjin, 28/03