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Updated: Oct 26, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Stage-dependent nutrient assimilation, protein accumulation and microbial instability during fed-batch cultivation of
Weixuan Wang1, Wangchao Chu1, Shuhuan Lan1
1Agricultural Microbial Agents Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China.
Abstract:
Chinese Baijiu brewing wastewater (CBBW) is a high-strength organic wastewater rich in recoverable nutrients, but its direct conversion into microalgal protein remains limited by unstable loading and microbial succession. This study established a photobioreactor using real CBBW and the heavy-ion-mutagenized Chlorella mutant SLJ-Q1 under fed-batch culture. During the early phase (Days 0-10), SLJ-Q1 achieved a specific growth rate of 0.069/d, with total nitrogen (TN) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates of 12.6 and 332.8 mg/(L·d). This phase featured enhanced bacterial network complexity and genetic potential for carbon-nitrogen co-metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis, promoting nutrient conversion into protein-rich biomass. The harvested biomass reached 1.85 g/L, containing 65.5% crude protein with an essential amino acid index (EAAI) of 0.94-0.99 and heavy metals below feed safety limits. However, the bacterial count (5.93 × 107 CFU/g) exceeded GB 13078-2017, indicating that post-harvest hygienic treatment is required. Prolonged feeding caused oxygen-limiting conditions, Clostridium enrichment, enhanced genetic potential for anaerobic nitrogen metabolism, nutrient accumulation, and photobioreactor (PBR) destabilization. These findings suggested the feasibility of producing microalgal protein from CBBW and highlight feed loading control, dissolved oxygen balance, and post-harvest hygienic treatment as key considerations for sustainable scale-up.
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