KINETIC-STUDY ON LIGHT-LIMITED BATCH CULTIVATION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC CELLS

The relative significance of the exponential and linear growth phases during light-limited batch cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa C-212 and Spirulina platensis M-135 cells was investigated. The relationship s among the specific growth rates, the linear growth rates and the fin al cell concentrations during algal cultivation in various types and s izes of photobioreactors were studied. There was neither good correlat ion between the specific growth rates and the linear growth rates nor between the specific growth rates and the final cell concentrations. O n the other hand, regardless of the type and size of the photobioreact or, good correlations between the linear growth rates and the final ce ll concentrations were found for both Chlorella and Spirulina cells. T he existence of the various growth phases during light-limited batch c ultivation of photosynthetic cells could be predicted by a simple math ematical model. The model predicts that the linear growth phase is rel atively longer than the exponential growth phase. During light-limited batch cultivation of photosynthetic cells, the linear growth rate is thus a better growth index than the specific growth rate.