A sampling method includes: a sampling step of circulating a sample from a cell culture device to a sampling channel and measuring concentrations of predetermined components in the sample by a second sensor and a gas concentration sensor; a cleaning step of circulating a cleaning liquid through the sampling channel to circulate the cleaning liquid through the second sensor and the gas concentration sensor after the sampling step; and an air introduction step of replacing the cleaning liquid remaining in the gas concentration sensor with air after the cleaning step.

Clean-in-place methods applicable to improve production of fermentation operations are disclosed herein to monitor, report, and control the cleaning reagents applied, residual components thereof, and clean-in-place conditions within levels that are compatible with fermentation processes, without limiting the effectiveness of the clean-in-place protocol with respect to cleaning or sanitizing the fermentation system.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic micro algae culturing device and system for self-cleaning, continual automatic algae culturing and irradiant optimizing. The culturing device includes a photosynthesis tubular reactor for micro algae culturing, with transparent cleaning particles to scrape off any unwanted particles or components such as including and not limited to formation of biofilm. The device also includes a nano-air bubble generating device installed around the tubular reactor to generate and feed nano-air bubbles into the tubular reactor, where the nano-air bubbles increase an active surface area for ions to interact with the algae in the culture medium in order to increase productivity of the culturing device by enhancing rate of mitosis, productively of oil, protein and polysaccharide and the nano-air bubbles also sterilizes the culture medium.

A method includes directing fluid flow from a bioreactor to an external path of a re-circulation loop, separating cells from the medium and returning the cells to the bioreactor thereby leaving spent medium, depleting the spent medium of biological waste products, replenishing the spent medium with beneficial growth factors to thereby provide replenished medium, and directing the replenished medium back to the bioreactor to thereby complete the re-circulation loop such that recycling of the medium occurs. The replenishing of the spent medium with beneficial growth factors may occur within a medium collection reservoir. The method may further include monitoring the spent medium within the medium collection reservoir including temperature of the spent medium within the medium collection reservoir and pH of the spent medium within the medium collection reservoir.

A cell collecting device include a pipette tip that sucks substances in a cell culture container, a first valve connected to the pipette tip through a first flow path, a first pump connected to the first valve through a second flow path, and a second pump connected to the first valve through a third flow path. In a remove mode, the first valve is switched to connect the first flow path and the second flow path to each other and disconnect the third flow path, and the first pump is driven to discharge waste in the cell culture container, that has been sucked from the pipette tip, from a drain of the first pump through the first flow path and the second flow path, and in a picking mode, the first valve is switched to connect the first flow path and the third flow path to each other and disconnect the second flow path, and the second pump is driven to suck cells in the cell culture container using the pipette tip.

A culture container linkage device according to the present disclosure includes a first actuator configured to advance or retract needles 32, an actuator holder rotatably provided on a frame and configured to hold the first actuator, a second actuator, and a washer configured to wash the needles. The second actuator rotates the needles via the actuator holder. The needles are configured to be positioned, by the second actuator, at a container-facing position at which the needles face a culture container and a washing-facing position at which the needles face the washer.

The microorganism preparation feeding method of the invention employs an automatic microorganism preparation feeding apparatus which includes a cold storage apparatus for refrigeration-storing a seed microorganism belonging to the aerobic microorganism group including at least one species of aerobic microorganisms capable of decomposing oil and fat contained in oil/fat-including wastewater and a growth tank for growing the seed microorganism so as to produce the microorganism preparation, wherein the seed microorganism belonging to the aerobic microorganism group is maintained in a live state by means of the cold storage apparatus, the seed microorganism is periodically grown by means of the growth tank so as to produce a predetermined microorganism preparation, and the produced predetermined microorganism preparation is fed to the oil/fat-including wastewater. The method includes refrigeration-storing, as the seed microorganism, a microorganism whose population density is 1×10.sup.7 CFU/mL to 5×10.sup.9 CFU/mL in the cold storage apparatus; growing, as a source material, the seed microorganism of a predetermined volume by means of the growth tank so as to produce the predetermined microorganism preparation whose volume is 50 to 500 times the predetermined volume of the seed microorganism and whose population density is 1×10.sup.7 CFU/mL to 2×10.sup.10 CFU/mL; and feeding the produced microorganism preparation to the oil/fat-including wastewater.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic micro algae culturing device and system for self-cleaning, continual automatic algae culturing and irradiant optimizing. The culturing device includes a photosynthesis tubular reactor for micro algae culturing, with transparent cleaning particles to scrape off any unwanted particles or components such as including and not limited to formation of biofilm. The tubular reactor has multiple double-walled glasses. Inner walls of the tubes in the tubular reactor may be coated with superhydrophobic coating to avoid bio film formation, or sticking of any hydro dirt or dust particles. Because the cleaning particles are transparent, they wont block any sunlight for photosynthesis in the tubular reactor.

A system for algae incubation including a reactor cell adapted to grow algae, a support buoy secured to the reactor cell, and a floating vessel secured to the reactor cell.

Systems and methods for cleaning a photobioreactor apparatus are described. Cleaning devices are described that include flexible members coupled to a propulsion member. The cleaning devices may be moved through tubes of the photobioreactor apparatus using the propulsion member. As the cleaning devices move, the flexible members may make contact with walls of the tubes, thereby cleaning the walls of the tubes. Cleaning devices are also contemplated that include particles with some rigidity that intermix with the fluid inside the tubes and clean the walls of the tubes as the particles contact the walls.