Facilitating the industrial transition to microbial and microalgal factories through mechanistic modelling within the Industry 4.0 paradigm

In the era of sustainable development, mathematical models of microbial and microalgal systems underpin the digital transformation of the biochemical industry. The accurate quantitative description of the culture behaviour and the derivation of optimal model-based strategies for bioreactor operation are crucial conditions for facilitating the economical production of bio-based chemicals. Recent developments in modelling approaches, with a focus on mechanistic modelling of microbial and microalgal cultures in bioreactors, are recognized as key contributors to the above objective and are reviewed in the present article. Challenges and future trends highlighting the potential of the synergistic implementation of kinetic models with computational fluid dynamics as a means of addressing cell heterogeneity and accelerating bioreactor scale-up are discussed.