title: Designing photobioreactors based on living cells immobilized in silica gel for carbon dioxide mitigation.
abstract: Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been rising since the industrial revolution, with the most dramatic increase occurring since the end of World War II. Carbon dioxide is widely regarded as one of the major factors contributing to the greenhouse effect, which is of major concern in today's society because it leads to global warming. Photosynthesis is Nature's tool for combating elevated carbon dioxide levels. In essence, photosynthesis allows a cell to harvest solar energy and convert it into chemical energy through the assimilation of carbon dioxide and water. Therefore photosynthesis is regarded as an ideal way to harness the abundance of solar energy that reaches Earth and convert anthropologically generated carbon dioxide into useful carbohydrates, providing a much more sustainable energy source. This Minireview aims to tackle the idea of immobilizing photosynthetic unicellular organisms within inert silica frameworks, providing protection both to the fragile cells and to the external ecosystem, and to use this resultant living hybrid material in a photobioreactor. The viability and activity of various unicellular organisms are summarized alongside design issues of a photobioreactor based on living hybrid materials.
authors: Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors: Joanna C
authors: JC
authors: Rooke
authors: Alexandre
authors: A
authors: Léonard
authors: Christophe F
authors: CF
authors: Meunier
authors: Bao-Lian
authors: BL
authors: Su
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival; D018914:Cells, Immobilized / Q000378:metabolism; D004867:Equipment Design; D005782:Gels; D010788:Photosynthesis; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D012822:Silicon Dioxide