# Interview : Givandan uses the CiYOU for R&D > 03|10|2024 Givaudan Active Beauty has equiped the lab with the CiYOUSince march 2023, a CiYOU is used on the Ile Grande site, in Brittany,… Source : https://www.ciyou.fr/en/interview-givandan-uses-the-ciyou-for-rd/ Mise à jour : 2024-10-11 --- ``` 03|10|2024 ``` ### **Givaudan Active Beauty has e****quiped the lab with the CiYOU** Since march 2023, a CiYOU is used on the Ile Grande site, in Brittany, for the **microalgae** **culture**. Recently graduated of a Master’s degree in Marine biotechnologies, Mathilde used the CiYOU for 6 months during her **internship**. Here she tells us her **impressions** about and her **experience**. ![Pleumeur Bodou2 1](https://www.ciyou.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pleumeur-Bodou2-1-879x1024.jpg) #### **Internship subject** Freshwater **microalgae** cultures by heterotrophy, mixotrophy and autotrophy in the CiYOU bioreactor : looking at the strain behavior and comparison (growth monitoring, microscopic observations). ##### **What’s your experience of running a culture & bioreactor ?** « Before using the CiYOU, I hadn’t **used a lot** **bioreactors**. Only 1 practical on animal cells in engineering school. I’ve also used a 50L bag photobioreactor. » ##### **Who used the CiYOU the most ?** « It was me. I used it **everyday**. At the end of my interneship, I trained two technicians so that they could continue with the subjects. » ##### **What do you remember from the CiYOU ?** « The CiYOU is different from the other systems I’ve seen. During the 6 months of my internship, and after a few uses, it was **easy to handle**. This is a very **simple bioreactor**. » As Mathilde says, the CiYOU is easy to handle even if we have no experience in bioreactor running. That is to say that the equipment is perfectly **adapted** to **students** and **new users**. And for more experienced users, it’s a child’s play! ![ciyou 3](https://www.ciyou.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ciyou-3.webp) ##### **What do you think about the assembly and the cleaning of the bioreactors ?** « Although heavy when we bring the vessel to the autoclave, regarding ergonomy, it’s **quite easy to move**. Of course, we need a **trolley** and some **help** from a colleague, to bring vessels to the autoclave and to the cleaning zone.” « The **cleaning** is **simple** too. After noticing the vessel height, we said “the cleaning is going to be complicated…”. Finally, as the **vessels** are **in 3 parts**, it’s **very simple** to **disassemble** and **clean**. » ##### **Have you encountered limits when using the CiYOU ?** « You have to be careful with the glass, adopt handling habits to avoid banging and breaking it. » « During cultivation, we observed a lot of evaporation ». ![Image1](https://www.ciyou.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Image1.webp) That’s true: with Airlift technology, depending of your strain, your culture and environmental conditions, the evaporation could be a limiting factor. That’s why we have developped **new options**: **condenser** & **cooling** options. ##### **Contact us to find out more.** ![ciyou 1 1](https://www.ciyou.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ciyou-1-1-1024x770.jpg) The CiYOU is special for its user-friendly interface and handling. #### **What about you ? What do you prefer with the CiYOU ?** « The interface is **very well designed**. Once you use it a little bit, and after navigating between pages, it’s **easy to find your way around**. This is **very** **visual**, both the **interface** and the **vessels**. It’s easy to see **what’s going on in the culture** through the glass, as the color, the Airlift movement… » «What I enjoyed the most was **seeing microalgae in the vessels** : look at the **evolution** over time and the **coloration** depending on the culture. I had my own **routine** with the CiYOU : quantify the biomass by absorbance measure, microscopic observation…” ![ciyou2](https://www.ciyou.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ciyou2-1024x933.jpg) #### _**As a nutshell :**_ #### **Would you recommend the CiYOU for research ? As educational equipment ? Why ?** « I recommend the CiYOU for **both** **teaching** and **research**. I think it’s **easy to explain** how it works, easy to handle. It’s a **good** **experience** for **students**: they can **manipulate** it **themselves** and see **visually** what’s going on in the vessel, follow and monitor the culture and conditions. This is so visual. » In research too, we can **set up** a **routine**. Few steps take time, as calibration part. Then, once you get it, it’s easy to **planify**. Again, it is easy to use and it’s a **good tool** for smale-scale trials.” A big thank you to Mathilde for the testimony, to Audrey for her support and all the team for their confidence.