Photobioreactor Cell Culture Systems, Methods for Preconditioning Photosynthetic Organisms, and Cultures of Photosynthetic Organisms Produced Thereby

• US 20090011492A1
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Algae Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: GreenFuel Technologies Corporatio
• Inventors: Berzin, Isaac
• Granted Patent: US 8,507,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/257.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/95 Specific microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/84 Biological processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/85 with gas-solid contact
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/08 Flask, bottle or test tube
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/02 located outside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/08 Means for changing the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention involve methods and systems for preselecting, adapting, and preconditioning one or more species of photosynthetic organisms, such as algae, to specific environmental and/ or operating conditions to which the photosynthetic organisms will subsequently be exposed during utilization in a photobioreactor apparatus of a gas treatment system. Also disclosed are new algal strains and cultures that can be produced by practicing the preselection, adaption, and preconditioning methods.

Claims

1. A method comprising acts of:

exposing a liquid medium comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein to a defined set of growth conditions, which are selected to simulate conditions to which the photosynthetic organisms will subsequently be exposed in a photobioreactor, to precondition the photosynthetic organisms to the defined set of growth conditions;

harvesting photosynthetic organisms preconditioned in the exposing step; and

inoculating a photobioreactor with at least a portion of the harvested photosynthetic organisms.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the exposing act is performed utilizing an automated cell culture and testing system comprising at least one culture chamber comprising a photobioreactor having an internal volume between about 1 microliter and about 1 liter.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the automated cell culture and testing system comprises a source of artificial light capable of driving photosynthesis configured and positioned to direct light to an inner volume of the cell culture chamber;

and a light source modulator that is constructed and arranged to vary the intensity of the artificial light between a first intensity to a second intensity at a frequency of at least one variation per second.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of growth conditions that are selected to simulate conditions to which the photosynthetic organisms will subsequently be exposed in the photobioreactor include at least one of liquid medium composition, liquid medium temperature, liquid medium temperature fluctuation magnitude, frequency, and interval, pH, light intensity, light and dark exposure intervals, feed gas composition, and/or feed gas temperature.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per minute.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per 30 seconds.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per 10 seconds.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per 5 seconds.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per second.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per ½

second.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per 1/10 second.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per 1/100 second.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises variation of light intensity to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per millisecond.

14. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises exposure of the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to a source of light capable of driving photosynthesis incident upon at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms at an intensity at least that known to be capable of causing a reduction in the growth rate of the starter culture via photoinhibition.

15. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein in the exposing act, the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein is exposed to the defined set of growth conditions that comprises exposure of the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to a source of light capable of driving photosynthesis incident upon at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms at an intensity at least twice that known to be capable of causing a reduction in the growth rate of an unadapted sample comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein via photoinhibition.

16-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A method for facilitating the operation of a photobioreactor system comprising an act of:

providing at least one species of photosynthetic organisms that has been preconditioned by exposure to a defined set of growth conditions that are selected to simulate conditions to which the photosynthetic organisms will subsequently be exposed in a photobioreactor system during its operation.

42-43. -43. (canceled)

44. A method of operating a photobioreactor apparatus comprising acts of:

inoculating the photobioreactor apparatus with at least one species of photosynthetic organisms that has been preconditioned by exposure to a defined set of growth conditions; and

operating the photobioreactor apparatus under conditions substantially similar to the defined set of growth conditions.

45-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A preconditioned culture of at least one species of photosynthetic organisms produced by a method comprising acts of:

exposing a culture of at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to at least one set of defined growth conditions that comprises exposure of the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to a source of light capable of driving photosynthesis incident upon at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms at an intensity at least that capable of causing a reduction in the growth rate of an unadapted sample of the culture via photoinhibition, and variation of the intensity of the light to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per minute; and

forming the preconditioned culture by adapting the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to the defined growth conditions so that the preconditioned culture is able to grow at the defined growth conditions with a doubling time that is no greater than 50% that of an unadapted sample of the culture subjected to the same defined growth conditions.

48-74. -74. (canceled)

75. A culture of at least one species of photosynthetic organisms preconditioned to a defined set of growth conditions and having the ability to grow with a doubling time that is no greater than 50% that of an equivalent but non-preconditioned culture subjected to the same defined growth conditions, wherein the defined growth conditions comprise:

exposure of the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to a source of light capable of driving photosynthesis incident upon at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms at an intensity at least that capable of causing a reduction in the growth rate via photoinhibition of the equivalent but non-preconditioned culture; and

variation of the intensity of the light to cause photomodulation at a light/dark cycling frequency of at least one light/dark transition per minute.

76-85. -85. (canceled)

86. A cell culture system comprising:

at least one cell culture chamber;

a source of artificial light capable of driving photosynthesis configured and positioned to direct light to an inner volume of the cell culture chamber; and

a light source modulator that is constructed and arranged to vary the intensity of the artificial light between a first intensity to a second intensity at a frequency of at least one variation per second.

87-100. -100. (canceled)