Production of Valuable Substances from Microalgae
The value of microalgae lies in their unique chemical compounds. Just as in other plants or other microbes, the complex mixture of compounds in an alga may have value, making the entire organism useful as a product. This is common for nutraceuticals (e.g. Gingko biloba). In many cases, however, the valuable substance is a single compound that must be identified, then separated or extracted from the remainder of the biomass to be delivered most effectively (e.g. penicillin).
The first step in deriving a product from microalgae- whether the product is the entire organism or an extract from it – is to produce the microalgae themselves. Mera Pharmaceuticalsí commercial microalgae production systems work at large scale for a large variety of species. Our proprietary production technologies, systems and processes provide the closed, controlled environment needed to optimize microalgae growth and produce a high quality product.
Our technology is centered on the Mera Growth Module (MGM), a closed-system photobioreactor. The MGM utilizes high-level computer controls to monitor, maintain and adjust the growing environment for all critical conditions, such as temperature, pH and nutrient levels. This level of control allows maintenance of conditions that promote the most desirable rate of growth. This platform technology is highly versatile. The unique requirements of each microalgal species can be met simply by programming the controls on the MGM.