Within the 30 months program, we achieved following key results:
1) WP2 - container and automation
We conceived, produced, and installed a container fitting our needs in terms of design, robustness, and thermo-insulation. We implemented a thermo-insulating water-tank on the product, acting as a natural thermic barrier, flattening the sinusoidal curve of temperature variation between night and day, and therefore allowing stable life condition for our bioluminescent bacteria. We implemented a bioreactor, optimized for bioluminescent bacteria growth, light rendering, cleaning, and designed for information communication.
We implemented an automation system, developed internally, allowing a daily automated cycle of bacteria inoculation, nutrient and water fill, flush at the end of the night, and cleaning cycle. We implemented a monitoring system to remotely follow data on light intensity, temperature, airflow, nutrient level. This system also enables to make orders to adjust parameters or reboot the system remotely.
2) WP3 – Bioluminescent bacteria performances
We worked on different bacteria strain, via extended screening and mutagenesis campaigns, and we have selected a bacteria fitting our project goal in terms of:
- Light intensity with a bacteria glowing from 15 lux to 22 lux, ensuring a great light rendering in a urban aera with artificial light pollution around
-Temperature resilience, with a bacteria glowing in a range of 10°C to 40°C, which, combined with container thermos-insulating performances, allows a constant light performance all over the year
3) WP4 – Bioprocess
We focused during the 1st months of the project on adapting and automate our lab validated bioluminescent chemostat for our outdoor product. It failed as our chemostat was constantly contaminated and bioluminescent culture couldn’t stay alive more than 3 days. We therefore switched approach and decided to automate a batch bioprocess. We developed and implemented an automated daily batch cycle, with an inoculation step, and a cleaning step at the end of the cycle, to ensure a replicable daily cycle ensuring light every night in an urban environment.
To ensure a daily inoculation, we developed a conservation method for both bacteria and nutrients, which are currently in process for 2 patents application.
This approach revealed also being efficient in terms of nutrient consumption and cost efficiency. Indeed, as we avoid using a dense bioluminescent culture during the day, we reduce drastically the required nutrient quantity by nearly a half, as well as half of water consumption.
4) WP5 - Pilot demonstration
During the 1st phase of the project, we focused on creating a product fitting with customers’ needs and our commercialization strategy: an information panel, with an organic shape of a bud. We designed a product combining functional, ergonomic and technical aspects, as well as security and regulatory constraints.
This design has been registered to insure IP protection.
During the 2nd phase of the project, we focused on assembling all functionalities into a MVP, in order to test the viability and operability of the product in real-life conditions, iterate, and finetune the product specifications before ordering its production to our suppliers.
We then worked with our suppliers to conceive and produce the final product, that has been installed in Rambouillet December the 13th 2022.
We officially launched the last phase of the project on January the 20th, with the official inauguration event of our product, which kickoff the 4 months experimentation that ended the 20th of May in Rambouillet.
5) Results & Conclusion : The 4 months experimentation proved that bioluminescence has a place in the city of tomorrow in term of intensity, light rendering, and light quality that bioluminescence provides. However, we still have some work to carry on thermo-insulation to ensure a constant light intensity at any temperature. We had to add a heating canula in the product to maintain bioluminescence performance during the winter period, implying an important energy consumption, which is not compliant with our environmental impact goal. We also need to work on sensors and connectivity robustness as it has disturbed the quality of monitoring.
