Smart Monitoring of microalgae biofilm systems with proximal sensors – MoBioSens

Microalgae biofilm-based systems are emerging as a promising alternative to suspension cultivation methods. Indeed, their low energetic footprint, low water requirement and easy biomass harvesting procedure make them perfect candidates to be a robust alternative to plant crops for future commercial applications. One of the main bottlenecks that constrains the scaling-up of such systems is the lack of monitoring tools for biomass and molecules production.
The main objectives of the MoBioSens project are to identify the best sensors for microalgae biofilm-based reactors monitoring and to implement calibration protocols for an on-line quantification of commercial biofilm traits such as biomass and high-value compound productivities. Several proximal sensors, including spectroscopy probes and multispectral cameras, will be tested and calibrated to be able to quantify microalgae biofilm traits growing in a rotating reactor. Sensor signals will be processed with standard statistical analysis and more complex predictive algorithms. Overall, the project will lay the foundations for the development of monitoring protocols of microalgae biofilm-based reactors for commercial applications.