This study aims to assess the suitability of the Duetz-MTPS as a high-throughput alternative to low-throughput flask cultivation for microalgae screening and optimization. The Duetz-MTPS, a microplate system, offers several advantages, including higher cultivation volumes compared to other microplates, and increased cultivation throughput compared to flasks. If successful, this approach has the potential to significantly enhance screening and optimization processes by expanding the range of conditions that can be tested in developing microalgae productions. To evaluate the Duetz-MTPS, we used Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. and assessed their biomass production and chemical variability using FTIR spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated considerable variability in Chlorella vulgaris biomass production and chemical composition when cultivated in Duetz-MTPS. This is likely due to variations in light availability between the outer and inner wells. In contrast, Scenedesmus displayed low variability in both biomass production and chemical composition but showed overall low growth, potentially resulting from the release of algicides from the Duetz-MTPS. We conclude that further improvements are necessary for the Duetz-MTPS to serve as a viable replacement for the flask method in microalgae research. FTIR spectroscopy showed to be a highly reproducible and informative analytical technique to be used to assess the total cellular biochemical composition of biomass when testing various cultivation systems.

The study was funded by the Research Council of Norway, HAVBRUK, and NordForsk Grant, Project Number 327114/E40.