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Metabolic pathway of lipid biosynthesis and strategies to improve algal lipid production. Lipid synthesis in algae is coupled to the cell's central metabolism. Free fatty acids are synthesised in the chloroplast and TAG molecules are accumulated in the cytoplasm. There are different ways of improving lipid production. a *Overexpression of ACCase enzyme(Shahid et al. 2020); b *Mg.²⁺induces the enzyme ACCase(Aratboni et al. 2019); c *Wavelength shift strategy can be used to enhance the light utilization capacity(Sung et al. 2018); d *CO2 Sparging (Lohman et al. 2015)and e *Nanoemulsions(Nigam et al. 2021) can be used to enhance the CO2 absorption rate; f *Inhibition of the nitrogen assimilation and starch synthesis(Shahid et al. 2020); g *Overexpession of LPAAT enzyme(Shahid et al. 2020); h *Overexpression of Type 2 DGAT enzyme(Li et al. 2016)(Shahid et al. 2020). G3P,Glyceraldehyde-3Phosphate; PDH,Pyruvate Dehydrogenase; ACCase,Acetyl CoA carboxylase; MAT,Malonyl CoA ACP transacylase; ACP,Acyl Carrier Protein; TAG,Triacylglyceride; PEP,Phosphoenol Pyruvate; FA, Fatty acid; CoA,Coenzyme A; OAA,Oxaloacetic acid; DHAP,Diydrodyacetone phosphate; GPAT,Glycerol3 Phosphate acyltransferase; LPAAT,Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase; DGAT,Diacylglycerol acyltransferase
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The demand for fossil fuels has resulted in their rapid depletion and rise in the fuel costs. Moreover, fossil fuels have serious negative impacts on the environment due to their harmful emissions leading to global warming. This has paved the way for research into finding a renewable alternative to fossil fuels and exploring potential biofuel feeds...
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The world has heavily relied on fossil fuels for decades to supply energy demands. However, the usage of fossil fuels has been strongly correlated with impactful problems, which lead to global warming. Moreover, the excessive use of fossil fuels has led to their rapid depletion. Hence, exploring other renewable and sustainable alternatives to fossi...
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... When comparing different microalgae strains for biofuel production, factors such as lipid productivity and fatty acid profile are typically evaluated [83,84]. However, it is important to note that the optimal conditions for lipid production and key high-value metabolites can vary significantly among different microalgae species [6,85]. Nevertheless, further investigations are imperative to comprehensively understand the metabolic pathways and environmental factors influencing the fatty acid composition of this strain. ...
Microalgae are highly valued for their rapid biomass production and metabolite synthesis, as well as their abundance of beneficial compounds. They have a variety of applications, including serving as the primary ingredient in biofuels, functional foods, and cosmetics. The genus Picochlorum, which was established to represent the unique characteristics of “Nannochloris-like” algae, exhibits rapid growth and a high salt tolerance. The morphology, molecular phylogeny, and fatty acid composition of an unspecified Picochlorum strain KCTC AG61293 found in Korean coastal waters were investigated. The strain exhibited a unique cell morphology and reproduction type compared to other Picochlorum species, as determined using light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The vegetative cells were elongated and cylindrical in shape, underwent binary fission, and possessed a parietal chloroplast. A molecular phylogenetic analysis using nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA sequences showed that Picochlorum sp. (KCTC AG61293) belongs to the Picochlorum clade and is closely related to the genus Nannochloris. Compared to other reference species, Picochlorum sp. (KCTC AG61293) had higher levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The increased levels of SFAs and ALA suggest that Picochlorum sp. (KCTC AG61293) may be a promising candidate for biofuel production and other industrial uses.
... The cultivation approaches (closed and open systems) currently employed for the commercial production of high-value compounds from microalgae such as Spirulina, Chlorella, Nostoc, Dunaliella salina, and Haematococcus pluvialis [135][136][137][138], are also suitable for heme production. Although each cultivation approach suffers some limitations at the commercial scale [138][139][140], it is feasible to achieve cost-effective heme production in an open-pond or closed photobioreactor by employing an appropriate manipulation approach to increase the microalgal heme content. ...
... These strategies can help to improve biofuel production from microalgae with less effort, costs, and energy input, helping it to be a financially feasible concept. Abiotic parameters like light, pH, salinity, temperature, etc. can influence microalgal growth and metabolite accumulation [115]. High-intensity light can increase algal growth. ...
The current world energy crisis and increasing greenhouse gas emissions demand a shift from fossil-based fuels to alternative and sustainable biofuels. The innate potential of microalgae over traditional terrestrial feedstocks to provide a high-quality and sustainable fuel portfolio has been recognized. Microalgae are known to mitigate atmospheric CO2 and convert it to valuable metabolites and bioactive compounds. The high growth rate of microalgal biomass with no additional requirements of feed and arable land makes microalgae as realistic alternative to existing biofuels sources. Micro-algae can store more primary metabolites under abiotic stress, which can be used as a possible source of energy. These metabolite storing abilities of microalgae have become a point of interest for the scientific community as the accumulated lipids serve as potential feedstock for biodiesel production by transesterification, whereas the carbohydrates can be used as the feedstock for bioethanol production by fermentation. Although microalgae-based biofuels are viable sources of energy, their commercialization and deployment in the fuel market remain a challenge. As a result, efforts are being undertaken to make it more cost-effective. This review describes the microalgae biorefinery method for producing biofuel along with its commercial potential, latest research updates in biofuel research, strategies to improve the algal metabolite content along with the limitations of using algal biomass for biofuels with possible solutions to overcome those limitations.
