A mixed gas generated in a methane fermentation tank is supplied to culture tanks. In the culture tanks, water as a culture solution is held and algae are cultured. Carbon dioxide contained in the mixed gas preferentially dissolves in water. That is, carbon dioxide is removed from the mixed gas. As a result, a concentration of methane, which is one component of the mixed gas, increases. The mixed gas is re-supplied to another culture tank or the same culture tank.

Growth and harvesting methods and systems herein include a growth container with one or more meshes attached thereto. The growth container and its meshes can hold a substrate. The growth container and its meshes can be vertically oriented to allow fungal biomass (e.g., mycelium, fruiting body, primordia, etc.) to grow from the substrate and through the meshes. The growth containers can be cylindrical or a rectangular box having meshes extending along vertically oriented longitudinal sides. The meshes may be provided on two opposite sides of the growth cylinders. These meshes can expose the substrate to a growth environment to facilitate growth of the fungal biomass. A cutter is configured to move relative to the growth container to harvest the fungal biomass across the mesh while preventing the substrate from sticking to the harvested fungal biomass.

A photobioreactor includes a first and a second container extending along a longitudinal direction; the second container extending inside the first container, so as to delimit a first channel between the first and the second containers; and forming a second channel inside the second container; a first passage means capable of allowing the circulation of a fluid between the first channel and the second channel; a second passage means capable of allowing the circulation of the fluid between the first channel and the second channel, disposed above the first passage means; at least one light source; a gas injection means, configured so as to inject gas in the form of bubbles into the second channel; the circulating fluid being able to be exposed to a light source.

The present invention provides a cell culture base that avoids contact between a photoresponsive layer and cells. The cell culture base of the present invention includes: a support layer; a photoresponsive layer; and a cell culture layer, wherein the photoresponsive layer is laminated on the support layer, the cell culture layer is laminated on the photoresponsive layer, the photoresponsive layer contains a photoresponsive substance that causes at least one of heat and change in magnetism by light irradiation, and the cell culture layer is capable of culturing cells.

The invention encompasses systems and processes for the extraction of, for example, consumer, animal, and industrial end products from algal biomass. In various embodiments, the invention encompasses ecofriendly methods for selective extraction and fractionation of algal products. These components include, but are not limited to, lipids, proteins, antioxidants, synthesized by algae, or the use of these compounds for further biochemical processes for synthesis of product compounds such as ethanol or biopolymer. The invention further encompasses method for the recovery algae residual biomass (ARB), its packing and transfer the deep-sea for carbon storage. These methods include energy efficient methods of filtration and packing and spread to the ocean surface to further allow reaching the seabed.

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.

Microalgae cultivation equipment for the cultivation of microalgae is provided in which a raceway is modified so as to contain multiple generally upright photobioreactor columns spaced apart along its length so as to increase the total surface area of liquid growth medium directly exposed to light and to improve the transfer of CO.sub.2 from the gas-phase to the liquid-phase by providing adequate height inside the vertical photobioreactor columns. The lowermost ends of the photobioreactor columns are immersed inside the liquid growth medium in the raceway component and are fed with liquid growth medium by a circulation promoting facility circulating the liquid growth medium from the raceway through the photobioreactor columns to become discharged back into the raceway. Gas inlets provide CO.sub.2 containing gas bubbles passing upwards in each of the photobioreactor columns. One or more paddle wheels or jet pumps induce a flow of liquid growth medium within the raceway.

Apparatuses and methods for reducing cost and space requirements and increasing ease of cleaning/harvesting of algae scrubbers and seaweed cultivators by utilizing illumination domes, macroalgal settlement structures, reservoirs including overflowing and pole mount, repositionable water outlet structures, 3D printed macroalgal attachment materials, and submersible macroalgal illumination devices.

The present disclosure describes a manufacturing method to use algae as a renewable green factory for producing biodegradable bioplastic. One or more embodiments include separation of a cultivated microalgae biomass from water before use in the wet or dried state. The lipids and proteins are extracted from the biomass which leaves starch and algae precursors in the remaining material from the microalgae cells. The starch includes amylose, amylopectin, monosaccharides kinases and cyclobutadiene and is hydrolyzed into a syrup containing oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. In some cases, the syrup is used as an ingredient in a medium containing nutrient for bacterial fermentation of plastics.

The present disclosure relates to methods of culturing algae that overcomes catabolic repression of photosynthesis in mixotrophic growth.