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Production of astaxanthin from microalgae – HØYLYS

SINTEF has started at cooperation with the company EVOLYS AS where the aim is to define the optimal light environment for microalgae production with focus on high value components like astaxanthin.

EVOLYS demonstrates LED with different wave length. Photo: M. Chauton

Using LED technology for lighting opens up new possibilities for tailoring both light quality and quantity to a species level. The production of astaxanthin is greatest when the algae are experiencing stress caused by either light or nutrient shortage; however, stress is unfavorable when it comes to cell growth. Hence, maximizing both cell growth and astaxanthin content is challenging. The results from HØYLYS will increase the understanding of how different wavelengths and irradiance levels affect the yield of biomass and high value components in microalgae.

Key Factors

Project start

01/08/2015