Affiliations: [a] Carbon Biotech Social Enterprise AG, Senftenberg, Germany
| [b] Institute of Materials Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| [c] Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| [d] Institute of Biotechnology, Molecular Cell Biology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| [e] Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus –Senftenberg, Germany
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Friedrich Jung, Institute of Biotechnology, Molecular Cell Biology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany. E-mail: friedrich.jung@b-tu.de.
Abstract: The cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis is a well-known source of bioactive substances. Growth and the generation of bioactive ingredients of Arthrospira platensis depend mainly on the quantity of light in a controlled environment. Photoinhibition is a time, nutrient, and light intensity-dependent decrease in photosynthetic efficiency. However, too strong illumination can induce two harmful effects: (1) photoinhibition as a reduction in photosynthetic rate and (2) photooxidation which can have lethal effects on the cells, and which can lead to total loss of the culture. The results of this microscopical study demonstrate, that under the procedures described and very high photon flux den-sities, not only a decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency but beyond, also destruction of Arthrospira platensis can occur.
