top of page

ALGAE BIOREACTOR

 

Category

Biodesign

Bioremediation | Water pollution | Algae

Carried out at

MA Biodesign

Central Saint Martins

University of the Arts London

Conducted with 

Carolina Kyvik Ruiz

Eleonora Rombolá

Cassandra Quinn

Kit Ondaatje Rolls

Tutors

Nancy Diniz | Course Leader

MA Biodesign

Carole Collet | Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures 

Alice Taylor | Lecturer of Biology and Living Systems

Shem Johnson | Grow Lab Specialist Technician

Special mention

Saul Purton | Head of the U.K. Algae Network (UCL)

Location
London  —  UK

Date

Feb.   —  March 2020

Using restorative  design to clean the London Canal. Bioremediating water through phycormediation, using upcycled material.

This project was developed from a Parachlorella Kessleri strain, provided by Saul Purton, Head of the U.K. Algae Network (UCL). This strain is capable of simultaneously growing in and bioremediating contaminated environments, by digesting contamination. The resulted bioreactor has been designed to be set up on London barges to bioremediate the Regent's canal (Central London), contaminated by heavy metals. 

Gin bottles, resulted from distillery solid waste, are used as bioreactor containers. In this way, this project develop a restorative design upcycling local waste, while being accessible for many barge holders due to its low cost. Moreover its modulability allows it to set it up on different supports.

Capture d’écran 2020-10-02 à 21.23.02.png

Parachlorella kessleri algae strain | Magnification: 10X, 20X, 40X.

Capture d’écran 2020-10-02 à 21.26.26.

Experiments set-up | Variants: nutrients, light, temperature, algae concentration.

DSC02663_edited.jpg

Algae bioreactor set-up on London barges | Regent's Canal, London.

bottom of page