Vis/NIR spectrophotometry has been successfully used as a fast method for determining the biomass or micro algae density and concentration present in water.[xv] Constant monitoring of algae density is crucial for optimizing growth conditions and determining the ideal harvest schedule. [xvi] Typically, such measurements are conducted in a time-consuming process that involves (1) filtering of a liquid sample; (2) drying the filtered sample; and (3) weighing the dried product. IDS offers a simple and rapid method for directly analyzing and quantifying micro algae density in a liquid sample with minimal processing, which is far superior and faster than the dry weight or other alternative methods. With IDS, multiple liquid samples can be measured quickly in less than one minute using the built-in automated liquid handling and data acquisition system. The samples can then be returned to the source and new samples can be tested on demand as frequently as needed. This enables rapid fine-tuning of the growth conditions for specific types of micro algae for a variety of applications including biofuels, cosmetic supplements, nutraceuticals, drug discovery, pet food additives, animal feed, pigments, specialty oils, etc.
[xv] D. Santos-Ballardo et al., “A simple spectrophotometric method for biomass measurement of important microalgae species in aquaculture”, Aquaculture 448 (2015) 87-92.
Spectral absorbance analysis of algae-cyanobacteria [xvi]
[xvi] Y. Li et al., “Optimization and effects of different culture conditions on growth of Halomicronema hongdechloris – a filamentous cyanobacterium containing chlorophyll f”, Front Plant Sci. 2014; 5: 67.