AlgaeFlow – Novel acoustic microalgae harvester for sustainable biomass production

Although microalgal systems offer many advantages for chemical production (e.g. higher productivities
per acre, valuable co-products), industrial-scale manufacture faces significant techno-economic challenges that must be overcome before algal biomass can be produced sustainably. To address this
important challenge, this study investigates a cost-effective, energy-efficient in-line cell harvesting system based on innovative acoustic focusing, with a view to improving the efficiency and lowering the cost of commercial microalgae production by several orders of magnitude. This multi-disciplinary innovation is enabled only by converging cross-sector bio-sample extraction IP & world-leading bio-
processing expertise with specialist algal product manufacturing knowhow. As a platform technology,
applications exist beyond microalgal production for the wider benefit of industrial bioprocessing.