Culture Fuels, Inc. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: 8.7

Description

There is compelling value to feeding live algae in fish hatcheries as the current survival rate oflarvae fed frozen paste is relatively low resulting in higher costs.However the complexity andcosts of existing photo-bioreactors and the logistical costs of shipping live material over distancesare barriers to the widespread deployment of live algae as feed.Culture BioSystems has successfully grown and sold live concentrated Nannochloropsis to Floridahatcheries over the past year using an innovative low cost photobioreactor.Functions which can beautomated have been identified which would significantly lower production cost.In Phase Itechnical proof of concept at small scale for an automated modular photobioreactor which can belocated at a hatchery will be validated. Objectives are: 1) design and validate remote monitoringsystem sensors and probes for algal biomass density analysis 2) compare the performance of areactor using the automated biomass sensor with one that is manually monitored.Phase II will automate feeding and harvesting and then position the automated system on a hatcheryto demonstrate real world deployement lower production cost and improved control for theaquaculture industry. The development of an automated and modular photo-bioreactor which canproduce low cost algae will provide benefit to hatchery farmers who will have access to feed ofhigher nutritional value at a lower cost than they pay today.In addition the mature technology will also have potential to produce algae as a feed componentfor adult fish.