CellDEG GmbH is a spin-off from the Institute of Biology at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Members of the former Cell Biology Working Group headed by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Ehwald developed the High-Density-Cultivation (HDC) method for the optimal supply of CO2 and light to cyanobacteria and microalgae. The productivity of these photosynthetic microorganisms was thus increased many times over in comparison with classical culture methods.
The technology is based on a highly efficient membrane-mediated CO2 transfer into thin horizontally oriented and turbulently moving cell suspensions. In combination with strong light and nutrient-enriched media, previously unattainable increases in biomass concentration in terms of volume and area up to very high cell densities can be produced in this way. In addition to avoiding carbon and light limitation, the systems offer unique advantages such as negligible losses of CO2 and water vapor to the atmosphere, no high oxygen concentrations and very low shear stress for the cells.
Based on this technology, CellDEG has developed parallel screening and analysis platforms as well as production cultivators for laboratory scale. The modular exchangeable platforms can be connected to a central control unit and, together with the removable HD cultivators, enable a comfortable and time-saving workflow. The company markets these highly innovative cultivation systems primarily to research institutions and biomass producers who need to propagate microalgae quickly and reliably. The aim is to establish a standardised culture method for photoautotrophic cultures that allows the reproducibility of experimental approaches across laboratories.
A further focus is the scaling of the technology to the technical scale specifically according to customer requirements.
