Commercial applications of microalgae

doi:10.1263/JBB.101.87

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Commercial applications of microalgae

Journal Article•DOI•

Commercial applications of microalgae

Pauline Spolaore¹, Claire Joannis-Cassan¹, Elie Duran, Arsène Isambert¹•Institutions (1)

École Centrale Paris¹

01 Feb 2006-Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Elsevier)-Vol. 101, Iss: 2, pp 87-96

TL;DR: The first use of microalgae by humans dates back 2000 years to the Chinese, who used Nostoc to survive during famine, while future research should focus on the improvement of production systems and the genetic modification of strains.

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About: This article is published in Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering.The article was published on 2006-02-01. It has received 3793 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Culture of microalgae in hatcheries.

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Journal Article•DOI•

Biodiesel from microalgae.

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Yusuf Chisti¹•Institutions (1)

Massey University¹

01 May 2007-Biotechnology Advances

TL;DR: As demonstrated here, microalgae appear to be the only source of renewable biodiesel that is capable of meeting the global demand for transport fuels.

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9,030 citations

Cites background or methods from "Commercial applications of microalg..."

...Oil productivity of many microalgae greatly exceeds the oil productivity of the best producing oil crops....
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...The largest raceway-based biomass production facility occupies an area of 440,000 m2 (Spolaore et al., 2006)....
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...…using photobioreactors and raceway units of dimensions similar to those in Table 3 have indeed been used extensively in commercial operations (Terry and Raymond, 1985; Molina Grima, 1999; Molina Grima et al., 1999; Tredici, 1999; Pulz, 2001; Lorenz and Cysewski, 2003; Spolaore et al., 2006)....
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...Although these fatty acids have much higher oxidative stability compared with DHA and EPA, the European Standard EN 14214 limits linolenic acid methyl ester content in biodiesel for vehicle use to 12% (mol)....
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...Microalgae commonly double their biomass within 24 h. Biomass doubling times during exponential growth are commonly as short as 3.5 h. Oil content in microalgae can exceed 80% by weight of dry biomass (Metting, 1996; Spolaore et al., 2006)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Microalgae for biodiesel production and other applications: A review

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Teresa M. Mata¹, António A. Martins¹, Nídia S. Caetano²•Institutions (2)

University of Porto¹, Polytechnic Institute of Porto²

01 Jan 2010-Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews

TL;DR: The various aspects associated with the design of microalgae production units are described, giving an overview of the current state of development of algae cultivation systems (photo-bioreactors and open ponds).

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Abstract: Sustainable production of renewable energy is being hotly debated globally since it is increasingly understood that first generation biofuels, primarily produced from food crops and mostly oil seeds are limited in their ability to achieve targets for biofuel production, climate change mitigation and economic growth. These concerns have increased the interest in developing second generation biofuels produced from non-food feedstocks such as microalgae, which potentially offer greatest opportunities in the longer term. This paper reviews the current status of microalgae use for biodiesel production, including their cultivation, harvesting, and processing. The microalgae species most used for biodiesel production are presented and their main advantages described in comparison with other available biodiesel feedstocks. The various aspects associated with the design of microalgae production units are described, giving an overview of the current state of development of algae cultivation systems (photo-bioreactors and open ponds). Other potential applications and products from microalgae are also presented such as for biological sequestration of CO 2 , wastewater treatment, in human health, as food additive, and for aquaculture.

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5,158 citations

Cites background from "Commercial applications of microalg..."

...Polysaccharide complexes from Chlorella pyrenoidosa and possibly Chlorella ellipsoidea contain glucose and any combination of galactose, rhamnose, mannose, arabinose, N-acetyl glucosamide and N-acetyl galactosamine [127]....
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...Several methods have been employed to dry microalgae such as Chlorella, Scenedesmus and Spirulina, where the most common include spray-drying, drumdrying, freeze-drying and sun-drying [16]....
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...Illman et al. [50] found that the reduction in nitrogen in the medium increases the lipid content in all five investigated Chlorella strains, among which C. emersonii, C. minutissima and C. vulgaris gained an increase in lipid contend of 63%, 56% and 40% biomass by dry weight respectively....
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...The average lipid content varies between 1 and 70% but under certain conditions some species can reach 90% of dry weight [14,15,21,32]....
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...Most common algae (Chlorella, Crypthecodinium, Cylindrotheca, Dunaliella, Isochrysis, Nannochloris, Nannochloropsis, Neochloris, Nitzschia, Phaeodactylum, Porphyridium, Schizochytrium, Tetraselmis) have oil levels between 20 and 50% but higher productivities can be reached....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Biofuels from microalgae—A review of technologies for production, processing, and extractions of biofuels and co-products

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Liam Brennan¹, Philip Owende², Philip Owende¹•Institutions (2)

University College Dublin¹, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown²

01 Feb 2010-Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews

TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the technologies underpinning microalgae-to-bio-fuels systems, focusing on the biomass production, harvesting, conversion technologies, and the extraction of useful co-products.

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Abstract: Sustainability is a key principle in natural resource management, and it involves operational efficiency, minimisation of environmental impact and socio-economic considerations; all of which are interdependent. It has become increasingly obvious that continued reliance on fossil fuel energy resources is unsustainable, owing to both depleting world reserves and the green house gas emissions associated with their use. Therefore, there are vigorous research initiatives aimed at developing alternative renewable and potentially carbon neutral solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels as alternative energy resources. However, alternate energy resources akin to first generation biofuels derived from terrestrial crops such as sugarcane, sugar beet, maize and rapeseed place an enormous strain on world food markets, contribute to water shortages and precipitate the destruction of the world's forests. Second generation biofuels derived from lignocellulosic agriculture and forest residues and from non-food crop feedstocks address some of the above problems; however there is concern over competing land use or required land use changes. Therefore, based on current knowledge and technology projections, third generation biofuels specifically derived from microalgae are considered to be a technically viable alternative energy resource that is devoid of the major drawbacks associated with first and second generation biofuels. Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms with simple growing requirements (light, sugars, CO 2 , N, P, and K) that can produce lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in large amounts over short periods of time. These products can be processed into both biofuels and valuable co-products. This study reviewed the technologies underpinning microalgae-to-biofuels systems, focusing on the biomass production, harvesting, conversion technologies, and the extraction of useful co-products. It also reviewed the synergistic coupling of microalgae propagation with carbon sequestration and wastewater treatment potential for mitigation of environmental impacts associated with energy conversion and utilisation. It was found that, whereas there are outstanding issues related to photosynthetic efficiencies and biomass output, microalgae-derived biofuels could progressively substitute a significant proportion of the fossil fuels required to meet the growing energy demand.

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4,432 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Second generation biofuels: high-efficiency microalgae for biodiesel production

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Peer M. Schenk¹, Skye R. Thomas-Hall¹, Evan Stephens¹, Ute C. Marx¹, Jan H. Mussgnug, Clemens Posten², Olaf Kruse, Ben Hankamer¹ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (2)

University of Queensland¹, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology²

04 Mar 2008-Bioenergy Research

TL;DR: A review of second generation biodiesel production systems using microalgae can be found in this paper, where the main advantages of second-generation microalgal systems are that they: (1) have a higher photon conversion efficiency (as evidenced by increased biomass yields per hectare): (2) can be harvested batch-wise nearly all-year-round, providing a reliable and continuous supply of oil: (3) can utilize salt and waste water streams, thereby greatly reducing freshwater use: (4) can couple CO2-neutral fuel production with CO2 sequestration: (

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Abstract: The use of fossil fuels is now widely accepted as unsustainable due to depleting resources and the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the environment that have already exceeded the “dangerously high” threshold of 450 ppm CO2-e. To achieve environmental and economic sustainability, fuel production processes are required that are not only renewable, but also capable of sequestering atmospheric CO2. Currently, nearly all renewable energy sources (e.g. hydroelectric, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal) target the electricity market, while fuels make up a much larger share of the global energy demand (∼66%). Biofuels are therefore rapidly being developed. Second generation microalgal systems have the advantage that they can produce a wide range of feedstocks for the production of biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane and biohydrogen. Biodiesel is currently produced from oil synthesized by conventional fuel crops that harvest the sun’s energy and store it as chemical energy. This presents a route for renewable and carbon-neutral fuel production. However, current supplies from oil crops and animal fats account for only approximately 0.3% of the current demand for transport fuels. Increasing biofuel production on arable land could have severe consequences for global food supply. In contrast, producing biodiesel from algae is widely regarded as one of the most efficient ways of generating biofuels and also appears to represent the only current renewable source of oil that could meet the global demand for transport fuels. The main advantages of second generation microalgal systems are that they: (1) Have a higher photon conversion efficiency (as evidenced by increased biomass yields per hectare): (2) Can be harvested batch-wise nearly all-year-round, providing a reliable and continuous supply of oil: (3) Can utilize salt and waste water streams, thereby greatly reducing freshwater use: (4) Can couple CO2-neutral fuel production with CO2 sequestration: (5) Produce non-toxic and highly biodegradable biofuels. Current limitations exist mainly in the harvesting process and in the supply of CO2 for high efficiency production. This review provides a brief overview of second generation biodiesel production systems using microalgae.

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2,254 citations

Additional excerpts

...45–47%; [26, 29, 114, 168])....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Effect of temperature and nitrogen concentration on the growth and lipid content of nannochloropsis oculata and chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel production

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Attilio Converti¹, Alessandro Alberto Casazza¹, Erika Y. Ortiz¹, Patrizia Perego¹, Marco Del Borghi¹ - Show less +1 more•Institutions (1)

University of Genoa¹

01 Jun 2009-Chemical Engineering and Processing

TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of temperature and nitrogen concentration on the lipid content of Nannochloropsis oculata and Chlorella vulgaris in view of their possible utilization as novel raw materials for biodiesel production were investigated.

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Abstract: A possible source of biological material for the production of biodiesel is represented by microalgae, in particular by their lipid content. The aim of the present work was to study of the effects of temperature and nitrogen concentration on the lipid content of Nannochloropsis oculata and Chlorella vulgaris in view of their possible utilization as novel raw materials for biodiesel production. In addition, various lipid extraction methods were investigated. The extracted lipids were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed by gravimetric and gas chromatographic methods, respectively, in order to check their suitability according to the European standards for biodiesel. The lipid content of microalgae was strongly influenced by the variation of tested parameters; indeed, an increase in temperature from 20 to 25 °C practically doubled the lipid content of N. oculata (from 7.90 to 14.92%), while an increase from 25 to 30 °C brought about a decrease of the lipid content of C. vulgaris from 14.71 to 5.90%. On the other hand, a 75% decrease of the nitrogen concentration in the medium, with respect to the optimal values for growth, increased the lipid fractions of N. oculata from 7.90 to 15.31% and of C. vulgaris from 5.90 to 16.41%, respectively.

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1,292 citations

Cites background from "Commercial applications of microalg..."

...They may e destined to different applications, such as biofuel production, urification of wastewater under either autotrophic or mixotrophic onditions [3,4], extractions of high added value foods and pharmaeutical products, or as food for aquaculture [5]....
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References

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Journal Article•DOI•

Recovery of microalgal biomass and metabolites: process options and economics

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E. Molina Grima¹, El-Hassan Belarbi¹, F.G. Acién Fernández¹, A. Robles Medina¹, Yusuf Chisti² - Show less +1 more•Institutions (2)

University of Almería¹, Massey University²

01 Jan 2003-Biotechnology Advances

TL;DR: Economics of monoseptic production of microalgae in photobioreactors and the downstream recovery of metabolites are discussed using eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) recovery as a representative case study.

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2,220 citations

"Commercial applications of microalg..." refers background in this paper

...and Nitzschia laevis) (49, 56, 58, 59), no purified algal oil is currently economically com petitive with other sources (25, 49, 60)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Valuable products from biotechnology of microalgae.

[...]

Otto Pulz, Wolfgang Gross¹•Institutions (1)

Free University of Berlin¹

06 Aug 2004-Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

TL;DR: The biotechnology of microalgae has gained considerable importance in recent decades and this group of organisms represents one of the most promising sources for new products and applications.

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Abstract: The biotechnology of microalgae has gained considerable importance in recent decades. Applications range from simple biomass production for food and feed to valuable products for ecological applications. For most of these applications, the market is still developing and the biotechnological use of microalgae will extend into new areas. Considering the enormous biodiversity of microalgae and recent developments in genetic engineering, this group of organisms represents one of the most promising sources for new products and applications. With the development of sophisticated culture and screening techniques, microalgal biotechnology can already meet the high demands of both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

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1,876 citations

"Commercial applications of microalg..." refers background in this paper

...25×10(9)/year (processed products not included in this figure) (10)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Haematococcus astaxanthin: applications for human health and nutrition

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Martin Guerin, Mark E Huntley, Miguel Olaizola

01 May 2003-Trends in Biotechnology

TL;DR: The research reviewed supports the assumption that protecting body tissues from oxidative damage with daily ingestion of natural astaxanthin might be a practical and beneficial strategy in health management.

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1,361 citations

"Commercial applications of microalg..." refers background in this paper

...The world’s largest producer Hainan Simai Enterprising Ltd. is located in the Hainan province of China....
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...Moreover, carotenoids have intrinsic antiinflammatory properties owing to their quenching action on relative oxygen species and a therapeutic chemopreventive anticancer effect is sometimes attributed to these molecules (46, 64, 66)....
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...To lower their costs and compete with the synthetic form, their producers plan to expand their production capacity into locales with lower land, labor and energy costs such as China (46, 70)....
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...The production for 2003 was 240 tons (63) and formulas containing Martek’s oil are available in more than 60 countries worldwide (e.g., United Kingdom, Mexico, China, United States and most recently, Canada)....
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...Thus, carotenoid pigments like astaxanthin must be supplied in these diets (25, 29, 46)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Commercial production of microalgae: ponds, tanks, tubes and fermenters

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Michael A. Borowitzka¹•Institutions (1)

Murdoch University¹

30 Apr 1999-Journal of Biotechnology

TL;DR: A helical tubular photobioreactor system, the BIOCOIL™, has been developed which allows these algae to be grown reliably outdoors at high cell densities in semi-continuous culture.

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1,296 citations

"Commercial applications of microalg..." refers background in this paper

...Commercial large-scale culture started in the early 1960’s in Japan with the culture of Chlorella by Nihon Chlorella (Taipei, Taiwan) (2, 8, 9)....
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...Chlorella is produced by more than 70 companies; Taiwan Chlorella Manufacturing and Co. (Taipei, Taiwan) is the largest producer with 400 t of dried biomass produced per year....
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...Owing to their diverse chemical properties, they can act as a nutritional supplement or represent a source of natural food colorants (2, 11, 25)....
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...Interest in applied algal culture continued with studies of the use of algae as photosynthetic gas exchangers for space travel (2)....
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...However, the cultivation of microalgae is only a few decades old (2)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Commercial potential for Haematococcus microalgae as a natural source of astaxanthin.

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R. Todd Lorenz, Gerald R. Cysewski

01 Apr 2000-Trends in Biotechnology

TL;DR: Cultivation methods have been developed to produce Haematococcus containing 1.5-3.0% astaxanthin by dry weight, with potential applications as a pigment source in aquaculture, poultry feeds and in the worldwide nutraceutical market.

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1,077 citations

"Commercial applications of microalg..." refers background in this paper

...It is accepted today that the natural isomer of β-carotene is superior to the synthetic all-trans form (3, 26, 29, 48)....
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...In fact, microalgal astaxanthin has been approved in Japan and Canada as pigment in salmonid feeds (48)....
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