Microalgae, as facultative aerobic organisms, convert solar energy to produce biohydrogen under anaerobic condition. Biohydrogen is a kind of ideal clean and renewable energy source with great commercial potential. Many endeavors have been focused on improving the biohydrogen yields by various means. Here, the research history of hydrogen production by microalgae (including cyanobacteria and green algae), the characteristics of nitrogenase and hydrogenase, the mechanisms of hydrogen production, the technological progress, and the application of enzymatic, genetic, and metabolic engineering methods to improve hydrogen production by microalgae are reviewed. In addition, the regulation of anaerobic metabolisms of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii after the disruption of key enzymes functioning in the fermentative pathways is discussed. Finally, the main challenges and obstacles facing the more efficient production and commercialization of hydrogen production from microalgae in the future are proposed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.