Global dynamics of a cell quota-based model of light-dependent algae growth in a chemostat

•Light-dependent, single nutrient-limited, cell-quota based mechanistic model of algae growth in a chemostat is developed•Model solutions are positive and bounded•Sensitivity analysis reveals critical information on the impact of parameters and initial conditions on algae biomass productivity A chemostat is a widely used laboratory and industrial scale equipment for continuous culture of microalgae and other microorganisms under controlled conditions. Being a photosynthetic organism, light and other nutrients are growth limiting for all microalgal species, and thus optimization of external conditions is necessary to maximize algae harvest at a commercial scale. In this study, we mechanistically formulate a cell quota-based, light-dependent model of algae growth in a chemostat and study various mathematical properties of the model, in addition to exploration of the parameter space for obtaining guidelines on biomass growth optimization.