MIT researchers, led by Professor Kripa Varanasi, have improved the efficiency of biofuel production, as well as the use of bioreactors to grow algae and other microorganisms that absorb CO2, with their latest discovery. These processes are slowed when cells stick to surfaces, which then require cleaning. Varanasi and his team of researchers have developed a method that uses electrochemically generated bubbles to detach cells from surfaces on demand.
The researchers demonstrated the results of their approach in a paper published this week in Science Advances. The work was supported in part by Eni S.p.A. through the MIT Energy Initiative. The other authors on the study are Bert Vandereydt, a PhD student in mechanical engineering, and former postdoc Baptiste Blanc.
Read more about Varanasi’s discovery via MIT News.