Membrane inlet-ion mobility spectrometry with automatic spectra evaluation as online monitoring tool for the process control of microalgae cultivation.
Malcolm CämmererThomas MayerCarolin SchottJuliane SteingroewerRalf PetrichHelko BorsdorfPublished in: Engineering in life sciences (2023)
The cultivation of algae either in open raceway ponds or in closed bioreactors could allow the renewable production of biomass for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or chemical industries. Optimal cultivation conditions are however required to ensure that the production of these compounds is both efficient and economical. Therefore, high-frequency analytical measurements are required to allow timely process control and to detect possible disturbances during algae growth. Such analytical methods are only available to a limited extent. Therefore, we introduced a method for monitoring algae release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace above a bioreactor in real time. This method is based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) in combination with a membrane inlet (MI). The unique feature of IMS is that complete spectra are detected in real time instead of sum signals. These spectral patterns produced in the ion mobility spectrum were evaluated automatically via principal component analysis (PCA). The detected peak patterns are characteristic for the respective algae culture; allow the assignment of the individual growth phases and reflect the influence of experimental parameters. These results allow for the first time a continuous monitoring of the algae cultivation and thus an early detection of possible disturbances in the biotechnological process.
Keyphrases
- high frequency
- wastewater treatment
- transcranial magnetic stimulation
- machine learning
- high resolution
- gas chromatography
- deep learning
- healthcare
- gas chromatography mass spectrometry
- solid phase extraction
- social media
- minimally invasive
- mass spectrometry
- anaerobic digestion
- risk assessment
- climate change
- neural network
- human health
- health information