Grow Algae for Profit: How to Build a Photobioreactor for Growing Algae for Proteins, Lipids, Carbohydrates, Anti-Oxidants, Biofuels, Biodiesel, and Other Valuable Metabolites

Algae is a force of nature. All life on earth traces back to single cell organisms. Algae, are the base of the aquatic food web, and “engines” of oxygen, and base nutrition productivity for our planet. Half of the Oxygen on earth comes from algal micro-organisms. The intense interest from industry in “Algae,” is driven by Algae's incredible growth rates, capable of converting inorganic chemicals, into some of the most valuable organic molecules on earth.

This eBook is written to describe how to build a photobioreactor (PBR), for growing algae, and diatoms. The Photobioreactor (PBR), described in this eBook, is designed, and constructed from Glass Vessels, and other equipment, readily available from hardware stores, Beer Brewery, and laboratory supply companies. This eBook includes a complete Parts List for constructing your own photobioreactors.

The Photobioreactor (PBR) allows researchers to grow all algal Taxonomic divisions:

Baciariophyta, Chrlorarchiniophyta, Chlorophyta, Cryptophyta, Cyanophyta, Dinophyta, Euglenophyta, Glaucophytoa, Haptophyta, Herokontophyta, and Rhodophyta.

Growing algae is the ultimate in “Golidlocks” syndrome. Algae, like growth conditions “just right.”

Aquatic species growth rates, are driven by a specific (range of) conditions including: pH, temperature, dissolved CO2, dissolved O2, macro, and micro nutrients, specific metal ions, vitamins, and a Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) source of light.

A photobioreactor is a controlled environment, you create, to provide the “sweet spot” of the growing algae, by controlling, and manipulating, these conditions.

The PBR described herein is based on Glass Vessels, Non-Toxic food grade tubing, Pastures Curve, to impede any pathogen entering your vessels, pneumatic air pumps, and 0.22 micron filters, which remove any contamination in the incoming air.

This eBook describes, the photobioreactor hardware, you can build for your Laboratory, as well as discussions on Nutrients, Lighting, Oxygenation, CO2 injection, and culturing techniques.

Grow Algae, and Diatoms, for profit. Markets for algae are growing worldwide. Specific species (taxa) are very expensive to buy from providers, often hundreds of dollars, per Liter! Building your own photobioreactor, gives you the means of growing pure Monocultures, of algal species, which provide “feedstock” for your algae experiments.