In Situ Quantification of Polyhydroxybutyrate in Photobioreactor Cultivations of Synechocystis sp. Using an Ultrasound-Enhanced ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy Probe

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a very promising alternative to most petroleum-based plastics with the huge advantage of biodegradability. Biotechnological production processes utilizing cyanobacteria as sustainable source of PHB require fast in situ process analytical technology (PAT) tools for sophisticated process monitoring. Spectroscopic probes supported by ultrasound particle traps provide a powerful technology for in-line, nondestructive, and real-time process analytics in photobioreactors. This work shows the great potential of using ultrasound particle manipulation to improve spectroscopic attenuated total reflection Fourier-transformed mid-infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra as a monitoring tool for PHB production processes in photobioreactors.