AbstractAlgorithms estimating unmeasured component concentrations play a key role in bioprocess applications where only a few on‐line measurements are usually available. In this article, interval observers are designed to provide guaranteed intervals for the key components involved in cultures of microalgae. In contrast with most of the published studies focusing on continuous‐time measurements, this study considers discrete‐time measurements with possibly long and irregular sampling and defines predictors based on model equations and state transformations to ensure the enclosure of the state variables between two measurement times. The methods are validated with experimental data where the remaining inorganic nitrogen and the microalgal internal quota are estimated. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009