Embodiments include a reaction vessel having a first reaction chamber filled with a first material; a first light absorbing region adhered to an interior-facing surface of the first reaction chamber; a second reaction chamber filled with a second material; a second light absorbing region adhered to an interior-facing surface of the second reaction chamber; a temperature sensor disposed within the second reaction chamber; and one or more energy sources configured to direct light at the first light absorbing region and the second light absorbing region. A processor may be employed to determine a first temperature of the first material from a second temperature of the second material measured by the temperature sensor. Methods of manufacturing such a reaction vessel are also disclosed.

An apparatus to prevent bio-filming during the delivery of photonic energy to a culture or set of organisms in a fluid culture medium, the device including a culture medium, a container configured to house the culture medium, and an assembly to generate and deliver a liquid energy transfer medium between the culture medium and the photonic device, the assembly including one or more apertures sized and shaped to form one or more liquid replenishing lenses and a fluid-light unit in the container to house the photonic device and the liquid energy transfer medium, the photonic device is at least one from among a photoreceptor, a photoemitter, or a combination of the photoreceptor and the photoemitter, and further including a pump coupled to the fluid-light unit, the assembly is configured to convey the photonic energy between the photonic device and the culture medium through the liquid energy transfer medium.

A photobioreactor system includes vessel for containing a biomass and a plurality of illuminators which may have solid state devices embedded therein or coupled thereto. The light energy is distributed in the vessel volume by the illuminators so as to reach substantially all of the biomass being circulated in the vessel. Biomass may exit the top of the vessel and be refreshed with nutrients and liquid before being reintroduced at the bottom of the vessel. Carbon dioxide is introduced at the bottom of the vessel. The biomass may be agitated either ultrasonically or by motion of the illuminators. A source of energy for the light sources may be solar panels with battery storage and the carbon dioxide may be a byproduct of thermal power generation.

An algae production reactor system according to the invention comprises a reactor vessel which is provided with: one or more liquid inlets and one or more liquid outlets; one or more gas inlets at the bottom, said gas inlets being connected with a source of carbon dioxide, and one or more gas outlets at the top of the vessel; vertically interspaced and joined pairs of double glass plates which are at least partially submerged in the reactor liquid, said double glass plates having a layer of light-scattering particles in between and having a flat side being exposed to a light source; and means for vertically circulating reactor liquid.

A water filtering system includes providing light deep into a liquid used in applications such as the cultivation of both attached and suspended photosynthetic organisms. The system is configured to inject a stream of bubbles into the liquid and a light source is configured to shines light through the bubbles. The bubbles allow some light to travel deep into the liquid along the length of the bubble stream and scatter/deflect some light out of the bubble stream and into the surrounding liquid including screens for growing algae.

The present disclosure provides methods and materials for the cultivation and/or propagation of a photosynthetic organism. Such methods may comprise the use of a lamp assembly that comprises a plurality of circuit boards, each comprising at least three edges, arranged in a substantially spherical shape defining an interior lamp assembly volume, wherein the plurality of circuit boards comprise a first planar surface in contact with the interior lamp assembly volume and an opposing second planar surface comprising light emitting diodes (LEDs); and a barrier that surrounds the plurality of circuit boards forming the substantially spherical shape.

Disclosed is a photosynthetic culture production device including at least one photo-bioreactor chamber having a supply/discharge unit, and including: an aqueous liquid containing a photosynthetic culture; at least one unit for supplying and discharging fluids from the chamber interacting with a management system; at least one light distributor including at least one first wall arranged so as to receive the light at a proximal end, at least one second wall arranged so as to emit at least part of the received light, and a sealed cavity defined by the at least one first wall and the at least one second wall, part of the emitting wall being immersed in the aqueous liquid containing the photosynthetic culture; at least one fluid partially filling the sealed cavity; and a cover, limiting evaporation. The cover has at least one opening, keeping the at least one light distributor stationary in the chamber.

The monitoring and control of bioprocesses is provided. The present disclosure provides the ability to generate generic calibration models, independent of cell line, using inline Raman probes to monitor changes in glucose, lactate, glutamate, ammonium, viable cell concentration (VCC), total cell concentration (TCC) and product concentration. Calibration models were developed from cell culture using two different CHOK1SV GS-KO cell lines producing different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Developed predictive models, qualified using an independent CHOK1SV GS-KO cell line not used in calibration, measured changes in glucose, lactate, ammonium, VCC, and TCC with minor prediction errors over the course of cell culture with minimal cell line dependence. The development of these generic models allows the application of spectroscopic PAT techniques in a clinical manufacturing environment, where processes are typically run once or twice in GMP manufacturing based on a common platform process.

A solar reflector assembly is provided for generating energy from solar radiation. The solar reflector assembly is configured to be deployed on a supporting body of liquid and to reflect solar radiation to a solar collector. The solar reflector assembly has an elongated tube having an inner portion to facilitate liquid ballast, made of semi-rigid material and a flat section built into a wall of the tube or attached to the wall of the tube. A reflective material attached to said flat section of the wall of the tube to reflect solar radiation. The elongated tube has an axis of rotation oriented generally parallel to a surface of a supporting body of liquid. The elongated tube may be elastically or plastically deformed by application of a torque along its length, so as to bring flat-surface normal vectors at each end of the tube largely into alignment with each other.

In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a basin that contains a liquid and a photobioreactor at least partially immersed in the liquid of the basin, the photobioreactor comprising a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, the photobioreactor further comprising an inflatable float associated with the container that can be filled with a gas to change one or both of the position and orientation of the container within the liquid.