Biotechnology centre receives new photobioreactor for cultivating algae

At the beginning of November, the new reactor was put into operation in the Biotechnology Centre of the Department of Bioengineering (Sciences) at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT). The Sustainable Bioengineering research group under the management of Prof. Dr Sabine Grüner-Lempart intends to use it to realise the biotechnological integration of algae and bacterial cultures, primarily in the VertFarmmeetsBiotec project, but the new photobioreactor will also be used in other projects. For the first time, this enables the cultivation of algae with precisely controllable lighting in a liquid volume of 100 litres. With the help of the built-in sensors, the process conditions can be precisely monitored to ensure optimum growth of the algae and thus the highest possible yield.

Networking of research groups within the HSWT

The project aims to bioeconomically optimise the resource efficiency of indoor vertical farming (IVF). The collaboration between four research groups at the HSWT is intended to create overarching structures for applied research. In addition to Professor Grüner-Lempart, Prof. Dr Heike Mempel, Head of the Applied Science Centre (ASC) for Smart Indoor Farming at the Institute of Horticulture and Prof. Dr Özlem Özmutlu Karslioglu, Director of the Institute for Food Technology, are also involved at the Weihenstephan campus. Prof Dr Herbert Riepl, who holds the HSWT Professorship of Organic Analytics at the TUM Campus Straubing, completes the team. The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts (StMWK) is funding the project as part of a unique nationwide funding programme to strengthen applied research at Bavarian universities of applied sciences on the basis of the Hightech Agenda Bayern (HTA).

Also used in studies and teaching

In addition to its use in research, the photobioreactor will also be integrated into teaching at the Bioengineering (Sciences) department in future. This will further expand the practical training of students, which is particularly important at the HSWT as a University of Applied Sciences. Through research and teaching in the field of algae cultivation, the HSWT is also making an active contribution to the promotion of sustainable biotechnological processes in terms of the bioeconomy.

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