Swansea University is a world-class, research-led university, offering 500 undergraduate and 150 postgraduate courses to 14,000 students. In the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, it demonstrated strong performance against other UK universities. The University has algal biotechnology group and the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research (CSAR). based, in the Schools of Biosciences that will contribute to this project.
The CSAR is a state-of-the-art research facility, housing a team of researchers working on applied aspects of sustainable aquaculture development, funded via a combination of competitive research grants (eg, Research Councils UK; EU FP6, FP7) and commercial research contracts. The Centre comprises a series of controlled environment laboratories incorporating water recirculation technology, with programmable air and water temperatures; lighting (light intensity, photoperiod); salinity; pH and redox. Microalgal production facilities include 5 tubular photo-bioreactors (with total capacity of 10,000L) and 20 x 100 L aerated column PBRs. The Centre is a WAG-approved Algal Biotechnology KTC. Neighbouring research facilities that are used by the Centre include a comprehensive range of laboratory analytical techniques, mass spectroscopy, ICP spectroscopy, gas liquid chromatography, HPLC, FTIR, LC/mass spectrometry, microcalorimetry, rheometry, photo correlation spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and laser defraction particle sizing, Coulter Counter, FlowCam, Pulse Fluorimetry and other photosynthetic efficiency measurement