Microalgae biofuel bioreactors for mitigation of industrial CO2 emissions

Abstract Microalgae are a third-generation biofuel feedstock and as they are photographic organisms, can capture and mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) in industrial off-gas and use it as their carbon source. This technology has significant promise, but ideal microalgae strains must be identified, and bioreactors must be developed, that can optimize CO2 capture. Of the many proposed bioreactor designs available, variations of vertical columns (bubble and airlift) are regarded as the most suitable and have been studied extensively for their potential to utilize industrial off-gas.