Peer Review #1 of "Off-line and on-line optical monitoring of microalgal growth (v0.1)"

Abstract

The growth of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii microalgae cultures was successfully monitored, using classic off-line optical techniques (optical density and fluorescence) and on-line analysis of digital images. In this study, it is shown that the chlorophyll fluorescence ratio F 685 /F 740 has a linear correlation with the logarithmic concentration of microalgae. Moreover, with digital images, the biomass concentration was correlated with the luminosity of the images through an exponential equation and the length of penetration of a superluminescent blue beam (λ=440 nm) through an inversely proportional function. The outcomes of this study are useful to monitor both research and industrial microalgae cultures.