Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Author Spotlight: Scaling Microalgal Biotechnology for Enhanced Biomethane Production
Published on: March 22, 2024
The contribution of bacteria to algal growth by carbon cycling
Xue Bai1, Paul Lant, Steven Pratt
1School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Brisbane, Queensland.
Abstract:
Algal mass production in open systems is often limited by the availability of inorganic carbon substrate. In this paper, we evaluate how bacterial driven carbon cycling mitigates carbon limitation in open algal culture systems. The contribution of bacteria to carbon cycling was determined by quantifying algae growth with and without supplementation of bacteria. It was found that adding heterotrophic bacteria to an open algal culture dramatically enhanced algae productivity. Increases in algal productivity due to supplementation of bacteria of 4.8 and 3.4 times were observed in two batch tests operating at two different pH values over 7 days. A kinetic model is proposed which describes carbon limited algal growth, and how the limitation could be overcome by bacterial activity to re-mineralize photosynthetic end products.
Related Concept Videos
Green Algae
Microbes and Climate Change
Freshwater Microbial Ecology
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Marine Microbial Ecology
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

