11 10 Sunlight is the power source of photosynthesis. The chloroplasts of the plant cells derive energy during the day from the sun’s rays and temporarily store it in chemical form. Water and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are then used to form energy-rich sugar molecules in the chloroplasts. Oxygen is released into the environment during this metabolic process; this gas, which is vital for humans and animals, is a waste product of photosynthesis. In simplified terms, sunlight is transformed into biomass through photosynthesis. These accomplishments of the plant kingdom enable us to breathe oxygen and digest food. When it comes to photosynthesis, it is worth taking a closer look at algae, some of which are vegetable and some bacterial. Around 2.5 billion years ago, microscopically small single-celled cyanobacteria emerged in the primordial ocean; these ancestors of plants as we know them were the first to carry out photosynthesis. Such microalgae process carbon dioxide from the ambient air more efficiently than plants: while a square metre of forest vegetation binds about one kilogram of carbon dioxide annually, an optimised bioreactor with an equivalent amount of algae as biomass binds some 100 kilograms of this greenhouse gas. Automated breeding of these bacterial cultures can take place 365 days a year, as it is dependent neither on the seasons nor on the time of day. A further advantage is that cultivation of algae in the bioreactor does not compete with the food industry. Furthermore, algae cells can produce a variety of initial material for bioproduction in a very wide range of industries. They thus have the potential to replace petroleum-based production chains in the medium to long term, thereby making a decisive contribution to an economical climate neutrality. Around 20 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are constantly processed in the earth’s natural cycle. Every single year, however, an additional 36 billion tonnes of this climate-damaging gas are released by humans from fossil fuels such as petroleum, lignite and hard coal – an amount that can be signi- ficantly reduced. The principle of the photo-bioreactor from Festo is based on the following basic considerations: How can biological material be cultivated with as little consumption of water, energy, electricity and gas as possible? How can this be achieved in a climate-neutral way? What substances can be extracted in what form from the biomass and then serve as high-quality raw materials for other applications? In the PhotoBionicCell, this is all made possible by the automated cultivation of various species of algae: the carbon dioxide needed for the photosynthesis of the algae cells is largely derived from the atmo- sphere, as is the sunlight that is freely available during daylight hours. Thanks to its closed-circuit operation, the PhotoBionicCell consumes only a bare minimum of water and takes up very little space. The intelligent interplay of innovative technologies enables continuous monitoring and an optimal supply of the algae, so that they can very efficiently produce a wide range of valuable basic substances. PhotoBionicCell – The photo-bioreactor Why photosynthesis, and why algae for the bioreactor? No life without photosynthesis Algae are efficient multitalents Circular economy in the PhotoBionicCell
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