Abstract:High growth rate (200 times or more than conventional vegetable crops (liter/ hectare/year).
2.Accumulate higher amounts of lipids up to 60% compared to conventional crops up to 5-7% of DW.
3.Biodiesel yield 5000-20000 gallon/acre/year compared to 50-500 gallon/acre/year for crops.
4.Microalgae can grow in non-arable land, seawater or brackish and waste industrial water with higher photosynthetic efficiency (average 3-9% sun light irradiance) and CO 2 sequestration capacity. No competition for resources with c… Show more
“…However, they can be effectively blended with regular diesel at 5% (B5), 7% (B10), or 20% (B20). In addition, PUFA extraction by solvent extraction or hydrocracking of algal oil is considered viable options for making biodiesel with oxidation stability similar to biodiesel from oil crops (Sarpal et al, 2019).…”
Algae have been explored for renewable energy, nutraceuticals, and value‐added products. However, low lipid yield is a significant impediment to its commercial viability. Genetic engineering can improve the fatty acid profile of algae without compromising its growth. This study introduced the diacylglycerol acyltransferase (BnDGAT) gene from Brassica napus into Chlorella sorokiniana‐I, a fast‐growing and thermotolerant natural strain isolated from wastewater, which increased its intracellular lipid accumulation. Hygromycin‐resistant cells were selected, and enhanced green florescence protein fluorescence was used to distinguish pure transgenic cell lines from mixed cultures. Compared to the wild type, BnDGAT expression in transgenic C. sorokiniana‐I caused a threefold increase in non‐polar lipid and a twofold increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nile red staining reaffirmed the presence of higher intracellular lipid bodies in transgenic cells. There was a substantial alteration in the fatty acid profile of transgenic alga expressing BnDGAT. The non‐essential omega 9 (C18: 1) fatty acid decreased (5%–7% from 18%), while alpha‐linolenic acid, an essential omega 3 fatty acid (C18: 3), was increased (23%–24% from 11%). This study substantiates a valuable strategy for enhancing essential omega‐3 fatty acids and neutral lipids to improve its nutritional value for animal feed. The increased lipid productivity should reduce the cost of producing fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Improved FAME quality should address the clouding issues in cold regions.
“…However, they can be effectively blended with regular diesel at 5% (B5), 7% (B10), or 20% (B20). In addition, PUFA extraction by solvent extraction or hydrocracking of algal oil is considered viable options for making biodiesel with oxidation stability similar to biodiesel from oil crops (Sarpal et al, 2019).…”
Algae have been explored for renewable energy, nutraceuticals, and value‐added products. However, low lipid yield is a significant impediment to its commercial viability. Genetic engineering can improve the fatty acid profile of algae without compromising its growth. This study introduced the diacylglycerol acyltransferase (BnDGAT) gene from Brassica napus into Chlorella sorokiniana‐I, a fast‐growing and thermotolerant natural strain isolated from wastewater, which increased its intracellular lipid accumulation. Hygromycin‐resistant cells were selected, and enhanced green florescence protein fluorescence was used to distinguish pure transgenic cell lines from mixed cultures. Compared to the wild type, BnDGAT expression in transgenic C. sorokiniana‐I caused a threefold increase in non‐polar lipid and a twofold increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nile red staining reaffirmed the presence of higher intracellular lipid bodies in transgenic cells. There was a substantial alteration in the fatty acid profile of transgenic alga expressing BnDGAT. The non‐essential omega 9 (C18: 1) fatty acid decreased (5%–7% from 18%), while alpha‐linolenic acid, an essential omega 3 fatty acid (C18: 3), was increased (23%–24% from 11%). This study substantiates a valuable strategy for enhancing essential omega‐3 fatty acids and neutral lipids to improve its nutritional value for animal feed. The increased lipid productivity should reduce the cost of producing fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Improved FAME quality should address the clouding issues in cold regions.
“…Next, the residual saturated FAEE could be used as biodiesel. Since polyunsaturated fatty acid ethyl esters (PUFAEE) and high-value pigments can be used in food and feed applications, their separation could improve the economic feasibility of the biodiesel production process [196].…”
Globally, nations are trying to address environmental issues such as global warming and climate change, along with the burden of declining fossil fuel reserves. Furthermore, countries aim to reach zero carbon emissions within the existing and rising global energy crisis. Therefore, bio-based alternative sustainable feedstocks are being explored for producing bioenergy. One such renewable energy resource is microalgae; these are photosynthetic microorganisms that grow on non-arable land, in extreme climatic conditions, and have the ability to thrive even in sea and wastewater. Microalgae have high photosynthetic efficiencies and biomass productivity compared to other terrestrial plants. Whole microalgae biomass or their extracted metabolites can be converted to various biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, biocrude oil, pyrolytic bio-oil, biomethane, biohydrogen, and bio jet fuel. However, several challenges still exist before faster and broader commercial application of microalgae as a sustainable bioenergy feedstock for biofuel production. Selection of appropriate microalgal strains, development of biomass pre-concentrating techniques, and utilization of wet microalgal biomass for biofuel production, coupled with an integrated biorefinery approach for producing value-added products, could improve the environmental sustainability and economic viability of microalgal biofuel. This article will review the current status of research on microalgal biofuels and their future perspective.
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