COMPLEX ENGINEERING APPROACH IN A PROCESS DEVELOPMENT ALGOLOGY LABORATORY
ANNA BRACHKOVA1, MAYA MARGARITOVA ZAHARIEVA2, YANA ILIEVA2, MILA KALEVA2, TANYA KIM2, DIMITRINA ZHELEVA-DIMITROVA3, VESSELA BALABANOVA3, RENETA GEVRENOVA3, SNEZHANA RUSINOVA-VIDEVA4, ALEXANDAR ADAMOV4, HRISTO NAJDENSKI2, ALEXANDER KROUMOV1*
1Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of bio-conversion and biosynthesis of microbial metabolites, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria;
2Department of Infectious Microbiology, BAS, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria;
3Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University – Sofia, Bulgaria;
4Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory cellular biosystems, BAS 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* Corresponding author: adkrumov@gmail.com
Keywords: photobioreactors, Chlorella vulgaris, bioactive metabolites, light intensity
Abstract: The process development laboratory in the Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SAIM-BAS, Sofia) combines state-of-the-art in the fields of photobioreactors (PBRs) design, unit operation, microalgal physiology and nutrients media calculations based on the achievements of modeling and optimization frameworks. The laboratory was built in step-by-step procedures by applying knowledge database and expertise in the mentioned fields. Different concepts of PBRs design were realized and extensively studied. Microalgae of interest were purchased from one of the Czech Republic culture collections as well as from the Bulgarian Culture Collection in Plovdiv. Several new concepts of culturing microalgae were applied. Hence, the microalgal physiology of the green freshwater algal strain Chlorella vulgaris grown under different operational conditions involving varying light intensity, CO2 and air loading, temperature (T), and pH was investigated. The ability of the strain to synthesize metabolites of interest was studied and the results were systematized, as well. Experiments were carried out for almost 2 years, during which changes in the PBR type, nutrient media and light intensity were carefully chosen. The responses of the microalgal cells to such changes were quantitatively analyzed. The obtained results showed that the selected strain can be used for studying the potential antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Moreover, the published data on C. vulgaris and its capacity to produce bioactive metabolites were proven by our experiments and biomass of the strain was chosen to be used for food additive for broiler flocks.