Optofluidic photobioreactor apparatus, method, and applications

摘要

An optofluidic photobioreactor including an optical waveguide having an input, characterized by an evanescent optical field confined along an outer surface of the optical waveguide produced by radiation propagating in the optical waveguide, means for inputting light to the input of the optical waveguide, and a selected photosynthetic microorganism disposed substantially within the evanescent field. A method for optically exciting a photosynthetic microorganism for generating a biofuel, a biofuel precursor, or a biomass from the optically-excited photosynthetic microorganism involves irradiating the photosynthetic microorganism attached to the surface of the waveguide with an evanescent optical field from optical radiation propagating in the optical waveguide, and driving photosynthesis in the microorganism by the evanescent optical field.

主权项

1. An optofluidic photobioreactor, comprising:
an optical waveguide having an input, characterized by an evanescent optical field confined along an outer surface of the optical waveguide produced by radiation propagating in the optical waveguide; means for inputting light to the input of the optical waveguide; and a selected photosynthetic microorganism disposed substantially within the evanescent field, wherein the selected photosynthetic microorganism is in the form of an adsorbed single layer of the microorganism.