The emerse platform technology currently saves 20-40% of the energy costs of conventional commercial production processes with micro-algae. Above all, this is due to the use of terrestrial production organisms which perform photosynthesis and grow with sunlight and CO2. Regardingtest organisms, the new platform technology currently makes use of the unique properties of terrestrial cyanobacteria living in arid to polar regions. Terrestrial cyanobacteria contain a wide range of active ingredients and have a very good process stability due to their enormous adaptability to hostile life conditions.Furthermore, they tolerate the injection of common waste products, such as sulfurous flue gas, lost heat or waste water, and can thereby even be increased in their productivity. Apart from that, they only require sunlight, CO2 and small amounts of trace elements for growth. By fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in special cells, the so-called heterocysts, many cyanobacteria produce their own fertilizer. Therefore in many cases there is no need for additional costly nitrogen fertilizer. This is possible because the heterocysts protect the N2-fixing enzyme nitrogenase from harmful oxygen.The consumption of precious drinking water can also be reduced enormously, since the organisms need only small quantities of water in the form of aerosol – fine mist – in contrast to being submersed in gigantic water volumes, as in hitherto existing processes. This does not only help saving resources, but also makes unnecessary energy-intensive processes such as the continuous mixing of the organism suspension and the separation of the biomass from the water in the course of further processing.
The properties of cyanobacteria and corresponding process engineering can thus be utilized for energy-efficient and resource-efficient production of active ingredients, foodstuffs, and organic resources.
