scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Book ChapterDOI

Microalgae in Biotechnological Application: A Commercial Approach

01 Jan 2015-pp 27-47
TL;DR: The aim of this review is to summarize the commercial applications of microalgae.
Abstract: Microalgae are used as food, feed, and fodder and also used to produce a wide range of metabolites such as, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, carotenoids, vitamins, fatty acids, sterols, etc. They are able to enhance the nutritional content of conventional food and feed preparations and hence positively affect humans and animal health including aquaculture animals. They also provide a key tool for phycoremediation of toxic metals and nanometal production. The use of microalgae in nanotechnology is a promising field of research with a green approach. The use of genetically modified algae for better production of different biotechnological compounds of interests is popular nowadays. Microalgal biomass production for sustainable biofuel production together with other high-value compounds in a cost-effective way is the major challenge of algal biotechnologists. Microalgal biotechnology is similar to conventional agriculture but has received quite a lot of attention over the last decades, because they can reach substantially higher productivities than traditional crops and can use the wastelands and the large marine ecosystem. As history has shown, research studies on microalgae have been numerous and varied, but they have not always resulted in commercial applications. The aim of this review is to summarize the commercial applications of microalgae.
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
17 Jun 2021
TL;DR: The present review focuses on the industrial applications of microalgae and the challenges faced during commercial production.
Abstract: Microalgae are unicellular photosynthetic organisms that have been recently attracted potential interests and have applications in food, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, cosmetics, and biofertilizers industry. Microalgae are rich in a variety of high-value bioactive compounds which have potential benefits on human health and can be used for the prevention and curing of many disease conditions. But scale-up and safety issues remain a major challenge in the commercialization of microalgal products in a cost-effective manner. However, techniques have been developed to overcome these challenges and successfully selling the products derived from microalgae as food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Microalgae are rich in many nutrients and can be used for the production of functional food and nutraceuticals, safety and regulatory issues are major concerns and extensive research is still needed to make microalgae a commercial success in the future. Many practical difficulties are involved in making the microalgal food industry commercially viable. The present review focuses on the industrial applications of microalgae and the challenges faced during commercial production.

22 citations

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the modes of metallic nanoparticles synthesis by various species of microalgae and their potential applications is presented, where the authors discuss the use of plant extracts, bacteria, fungi, algae, and metabolites of arthropods.
Abstract: Nanobiotechnology is an emerging science concerned with the integration of biological principles with nanotechnology to improve the strategies for nanoparticles synthesis and applications. Various biological routes have been adopted for the synthesis of nanoparticles such as the use of plant extracts, bacteria, fungi, algae, and metabolites of arthropods. Among these, microalgae have attracted special attention in nanobiotechnology because they are capable of bioremediating toxic metals and subsequently convert them to non-toxic form. Many microalgal species have been used for the synthesis of nanoparticles of silver, gold, iron, platinum, and palladium. The mechanism of nanoparticles formation by microalgae is not clearly understood; however, there exists several reports of synthesis either through intracellular or extracellular pathways. Intracellular synthesis of nanoparticles by microalgae seems to be better due to their high rate of metal accumulation and ability to form large amount of nanoparticles, whereas extracellular mode of synthesis is most preferred because of the simplicity in the purification process. This review summarized the modes of metallic nanoparticles synthesis by various species of microalgae and their potential applications.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential of integrating a microalgal system into the existing life-support system within the International Space Station (ISS) was assessed, and two well-studied micro algal species (Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis) were considered for both suspended and attached growth cultivation.
Abstract: One of the challenges of long duration NASA missions, such as human transportation and habitation of the moon and/or Mars, is the limited life-support resources that can be taken onboard. These missions would benefit from processes or systems that can provide sustainable close-loop, life-support functions such as O2 regeneration from CO2, supplemental food provision, and water remediation. In cases of long duration human planetary/moon habitation, life-support systems that can utilize local resources (i.e., CO2 in Mars' atmosphere) could dramatically increase mission success. Processes of these nature could profoundly reshape space systems' design and configurations, improve mission flexibility, provide a higher degree of astronaut life-support on-site independence, and pave the way to novel routes of producing life-support materials in space. In this work, the potential of integrating a microalgal system into the existing life-support system within the International Space Station (ISS) was assessed. Two well-studied microalgal species (Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis) were considered for both suspended and attached-growth cultivation. The assessment suggested that attached-growth cultivation of A. platensis using urine and flush water within the ISS could provide significant amounts of reclaimed O2 and food supplement (biomass) using the least reactor (wet) volume. However, the sustainability of the microalgal system will necessitate continuous supplements of N and P from external sources or from other waste streams within the ISS. This work highlights the potential and limitations of integrating microalgae into the existing life-support system in the ISS. This integration would provide the capability to produce food supplement (biomass), which is critical for long duration manned missions.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The water quality of Banjosa Lake, Drak Dam and Rawalakot Nullah was affected from anthropogenic activities and needs to be managed, and the conservation and managed status of algal species is strongly recommended.

17 citations


Cites background from "Microalgae in Biotechnological Appl..."

  • ...Microalgae are good source of biofuel and higher productivities than traditional crops (Khatoon and Pal, 2015)....

    [...]

10 Mar 1993
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of work with strains of heterotrophic algae that have demonstrated potential as both nutritional feeds and for economical production by fermentation is presented. But, the difficulty of producing economically large quantities of microalgal feeds is currently one of the major impediments to the further development of the aquaculture industry.
Abstract: The concurrent trends of increasing consumption of seafood and decreasing natural harvests will dictate that a larger portion of seafood must be derived from aquaculture in the 21st century. The difficulty of producing economically large quantities of microalgal feeds is currently one of the major impediments to the further development of the aquaculture industry. Traditional methods, which rely on photosynthetic growth in outdoor ponds or indoors under artificial lights, suffer from the phenomenon of light-limitation of biomass density. Certain species of microalgae are capable of heterotrophic growth to high density utilizing sugars or other organic compounds for energy and cell carbon. This paper reviews work with strains of heterotrophic algae that have demonstrated potential as both nutritional feeds and for economical production by fermentation.

13 citations

References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of gold nanoparticles can be found in this article, where the most stable metal nanoparticles, called gold colloids (AuNPs), have been used for catalysis and biology applications.
Abstract: Although gold is the subject of one of the most ancient themes of investigation in science, its renaissance now leads to an exponentially increasing number of publications, especially in the context of emerging nanoscience and nanotechnology with nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). We will limit the present review to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), also called gold colloids. AuNPs are the most stable metal nanoparticles, and they present fascinating aspects such as their assembly of multiple types involving materials science, the behavior of the individual particles, size-related electronic, magnetic and optical properties (quantum size effect), and their applications to catalysis and biology. Their promises are in these fields as well as in the bottom-up approach of nanotechnology, and they will be key materials and building block in the 21st century. Whereas the extraction of gold started in the 5th millennium B.C. near Varna (Bulgaria) and reached 10 tons per year in Egypt around 1200-1300 B.C. when the marvelous statue of Touthankamon was constructed, it is probable that “soluble” gold appeared around the 5th or 4th century B.C. in Egypt and China. In antiquity, materials were used in an ecological sense for both aesthetic and curative purposes. Colloidal gold was used to make ruby glass 293 Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 293−346

11,752 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Yusuf Chisti1
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.

9,030 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
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).
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.

5,158 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that, after exposure to continuous red laser at 800 nm, malignant cells require about half the laser energy to be photothermally destroyed than the nonmalignant cells, so both efficient cancer cell diagnostics and selective photothermal therapy are realized at the same time.
Abstract: Due to strong electric fields at the surface, the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation by noble metal nanoparticles are strongly enhanced. These unique properties provide the potential of designing novel optically active reagents for simultaneous molecular imaging and photothermal cancer therapy. It is desirable to use agents that are active in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the radiation spectrum to minimize the light extinction by intrinsic chromophores in native tissue. Gold nanorods with suitable aspect ratios (length divided by width) can absorb and scatter strongly in the NIR region (650−900 nm). In the present work, we provide an in vitro demonstration of gold nanorods as novel contrast agents for both molecular imaging and photothermal cancer therapy. Nanorods are synthesized and conjugated to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibodies and incubated in cell cultures with a nonmalignant epithelial cell line (HaCat) and two malignant oral epithelial ...

5,047 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
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.
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.

4,432 citations