4. THE ROLE OF MICROALGAE BIOTECHNOLOGY
IN BLUE & GREEN ECONOMY

Microalgae biotechnology is a fast growing domain emerged in the last decades due to their huge potential as raw matter for a great diversity of products and services. Microalgae biomass consists of important primary metabolites such as sugars, oils and lipids, used for the production of food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, biofertilizers, animal feed. Moreover microalgae biotechnology has also a high potential as an environmental technology for GHG abatement or wastewater treatment. Another important area is the use of microalgae biomass as a bioenergy source, like methane, biodiesel, bioethanol or biohydrogen.

This course will provide students with the training, skills and learning needed to deep in the fast growing field of microalgae valorisation. It includes seminars about microalgae numerous industrial uses, their cultivation, harvesting and techno economic analysis. Laboratory sessions, data analysis and reactors dimensioning using spreadsheets as well as a field trip to an installation of microalgae biomass production are also scheduled.

This summer course offers not only an introduction to this exciting field, but also an opportunity to update information and to exchange ideas with other colleagues concerning the breakthrough that have to be addressed to help this emerging domain to reach an industrial level in certain areas.

The course is intended for MSc, PhD students or Post-Docs in the biology, chemistry and biochemical engineering fields.

PROGRAMME

 

Monday  June 12 nd · SEMINARS

9.00 - 9.30  Course Presentation.
(Dr. José. A. Perales, University of Cádiz).

9.30 - 10.30  General principles of Microalgae Biotechnology: Microalgae Production and Harvesting.
(Dr. Francisco G. Acien, University of Almería).

10.30 - 11.30  Microalgae bioprospecting:
The potential of extremophiles microalgae species.
(Dr. Carlos Vílchez, University of Huelva).

11.30 – 12.oo  Break.

12.00 – 13.00 Microalgae as feedstock for biofuels.
(Dra. María Barbosa, University of Wageningen)

13.00 – 14.00 Microalgae as feedstock for bulk chemicals
(Dr. Rene Wijffels,  University of Wageningen).

 

Tuesday June 13 rd · SEMINARS

9.00 - 10.00  Microalgae as feedstock for high value chemicals  (Dr. Rene Wijffels,  University of Wageningen).

10.00 - 11.00  Towards industrial products
from microalgae: economic analysis.
(Dra. María Barbosa, University of Wageningen).

11.00 – 11.3o  Break.

11.30 – 12.30 Strategies for valuable compounds
accumulation in microalgae
(Dr. Carlos Vílchez, University of Huelva).

12.30 – 13.30 Microalgae for wastewater treatment.
(Dr. Francisco G. Acien, University of Almería).

13.30 – 14.30 Round Table: Main Bottlenecks
in microalgae biotechnology
(Dr. Acien, Dr. Wijffels, Dra. Barbosa and Dr. Vilchez).

 

Wednesday June 14 th · LABORATORY

9.30 - 10.30  Measurement of microalgae concentration
(Dra. Carmen Garrido, University of Cádiz).

10.30 - 11.30  Microalgae Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures (Dra. Carmen Garrido, University of Cádiz).

11.30 – 12.oo  Break.

12.00 – 13.00 Light and nutrients determination
(Dra. Carmen Garrido, University of Cádiz).

13.00 – 14.00 Microalgae photobioreactors monitoring
(Dra. Carmen Garrido, University of Cádiz).

 

Thursday June 15 th · SPREAD SHEET:
DATA ANALYSIS AND USE

9.30 - 11.30  Microalgae growth kinetic modelling
(Dr. José. A. Perales, University of Cádiz).

11.30 – 12.oo  Break.

12.00 – 14.00 Pre-Dimensioning of an installation
for microalgae production
(Dr. José. A. Perales, University of Cádiz).

 

Friday June 16 th · FIELD TRIP

9.30 - 13.00  Visit to the R&D installations of the UE Project ALL-GAS at the WWTP of el Torno (Chiclana de la Frontera) (Dr. José. A. Perales, University of Cádiz, Dr. Zoe Arbib, AQUALIA).

 

Dates: June 12 nd-16 th

Course Director:
Dr. José A. Perales Vargas-Machuca

Department of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Environmental and Marine Sciences, University of Cádiz, Spain

Speakers:
Dr. José A. Perales Vargas-Machuca

Department of Environmental Technologies, University of Cádiz

 

Dr. Rene Wijffels

Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences,
University of Wageningen, The Netherlands

 

Dra. Maria Barbosa

Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences,
University of Wageningen, The Netherlands

 

Dr. Francisco Gabriel Acién

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería

 

Dr. Carlos Vílchez

Department of Chemistry and materials science
(Microalgae Biotechnology), University of Huelva

 

Dra. Carmen Garrido Pérez

Department of Environmental Technologies, University of Cádiz