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Section: Application Domains

CO${}_2$ fixation and fluxes

Phytoplanktonic species, which assimilate CO${}_2$ during photosynthesis, have received a lot of attention in the last years. Microalgal based processes have been developed in order to mitigate industrial CO${}_2$. As for biofuel productions, many problems arise when dealing with microalgae which are more complex than bacteria or yeasts. Several models have been developed within our team to predict the CO${}_2$ uptake in conditions of variable light and nitrogen availability. The first modeling challenge in that context consists in taking temperature effects and light gradient into account.

The second challenge consists in exploiting the microalgal bioreactors which have been developed in the framework of the quantification of carbon fluxes between ocean and atmospheres. The SEMPO platform (simulator of variable environment computer controlled), developed within the LOV team, has been designed to reproduce natural conditions that can take place in the sea and to accurately measure the cells behavior. This platform, for which our team has developed models and control methods over the years, is an original and unique tool to develop relevant models which stay valid in dynamic conditions. It is worth noting that a better knowledge of the photosynthetic mechanisms and improved photosynthesis models will benefit both thematics: CO${}_2$ mitigation and carbon fluxes predictions in the sea.