Production of bio-based materials using photobioreactors with binary cultures

Abstract

A method, device and system for producing preselected products, (either finished products or preselected intermediary products) from biobased precursors. The principal features of the present invention include a method wherein a binary culture is incubated with a biobased precursor in a closed system to transform at least a portion of the biobased precursor to a preselected product. This improvement leads to significant savings in energy consumption and allows for the design of photobioreactors of any desired shape. The present invention also allows for the use of a variety of types of waste materials to be used as the organic starting material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A photobioreactor system for obtaining biotechnology products comprising a binary culture made up of a combination of a phototrophic organism and a heterotrophic organism said photobioreactor having a chamber with a height to diameter ration greater than two, an integrated heat sink and an artificial lighting system comprised of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a spaced configuration. 
     
     
         2 . The photobioreactor system of  claim 1  wherein light emitted from said LEDs is the only light within said system. 
     
     
         3 . The photobioreactor system of  claim 2  wherein said LED's are controlled by a system based upon inputs from sensors surrounding said chamber. 
     
     
         4 . A method for simultaneously generating algal biomass carotenoids and reducing nutrient loads in starch wastewater characterized by incubation of said nutrient loads with a co-culture of at least two heretogenous organisms in a closed photobioreactor system bioreactor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said heterogeneous organisms are  Bacillus subtilis  and  Haematococcus pluvialis.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said closed photobioreactor system has a chamber with a height to diameter ration greater than two and lit by an artificial lighting system comprised of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a spaced configuration. 
     
     
         7 . A method for producing a biofuel characterized by the step of:
 incubating a co-culture of a methane-oxidizing phototrophic microorganism and a heterotrophic microorganism in a controlled illuminated environment containing a mineral medium sparged by methane (CH4).   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said mineral medium contains bicarbonate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the co-culture comprise a methylomicrobium bacteria (MOB) species and a cyanobacteria  Synechococcus    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the co-culture comprise  Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum  20Z and cyanobacteria  Synechococcus  sp. PCC 7002. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the co-culture is incubated at a pH of 8.3. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of recycling headspace gasses.