Arthrospira (Spirulina) has potential applications as food supplements, feeds, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels; but its production process is inefficient. To maximise biomass production and nutrient use efficiency of Arthrospira, steady-state data from continuous cultures provides a unique means of productivity optimisation. In this study we cultivated the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis C1 in a helical tubular photobioreactor initially in batch cultures, by independently investigating pH control, light intensity, and temperature, to optimise specific growth rate (μ) and biomass productivity. Optimal growth was achieved at 200 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, 35 °C, and without pH control. Arthrospira was then grown in continuous culture at four different dilution rates (D: 0.0087, 0.0173, 0.0287, and 0.0324 h⁻¹). Macromolecular and elemental compositions of biomass were determined, and both nutrient consumption rates and biomass yields at each D were calculated. Protein composition of the biomass was found to be highest (62.21%) at the lowest D, while the compositions of lipid, RNA, and DNA increased with the increasing D. Results from the continuous culture experiments also suggested that nutrient utilisation was best at lowest D, but cells grown at intermediate D had the greatest biomass yields and highest biomass productivity. Nutrient use efficiency analysis confirmed that cells converted nutrients into biomass most efficiently when cultivated at intermediate D. Results from the continuous culture experiments provide much-needed fine-tuned growth and productivity optimisation of Arthrospira cultures and may be used for a refinement of a genome-scale metabolic model of Arthrospira and flux balance analysis research in the future.

节旋藻（螺旋藻）具有潜在的应用，食品添加剂，饲料，药品和生物燃料; 但其生产过程效率低下。为了最大限度地提高的生物量产生和的养分利用效率的节旋藻，从连续培养稳态数据提供优化的生产率的唯一手段。在这项研究中，我们通过独立研究pH值控制，光强度和温度来优化比生长速率（μ）和生物量生产率，首先在批量培养中的螺旋管状光生物反应器中培养了蓝藻Arthrospira（Spirulina）platensis C1。在200μmol光子m ^-2  s下实现了最佳生长^-1，35 °C，且无pH控制。然后将节肢螺旋藻以四种不同的稀释率连续培养（D：0.0087、0.0173、0.0287和0.0324 h ^-1）。确定生物量的大分子和元素组成，并计算每个D的养分消耗率和生物量产量。在最低的D处发现生物量的蛋白质组成最高（62.21％），而脂质，RNA和DNA的组成随D的增加而增加。连续培养实验的结果还表明，最低的养分利用率最佳D，但在中间体D上生长的细胞具有最大的生物量产量和最高的生物量生产率。对营养物利用效率的分析证实，在中间体D上进行培养时，细胞将营养物质最有效地转化为生物质。连续培养实验的结果提供了节肢动物急需的微调生长和生产力优化培养，并可用于将来对节肢螺旋藻的基因组规模的代谢模型进行细化和流量平衡分析研究。