Bioenergy production using Trichormus variabilis – a review

Abstract

Fossil-fuel processing and consumption contaminates air, soil, and water resources through the release of hazardous chemicals. The harnessing of renewable energy resources and development of sustainable technologies have become prime targets of research and increased investment to protect the environment. The use of bio-based feedstocks in energy production provides a valuable pollutioncurbing pathway with sustainability credentials, especially when wastewater is used to provide the nutrient requirements. The filamentous cyanobacterium Trichormus variabilis has attracted substantial attention from researchers due to its potential for dual industrial functions in bioenergy production and bioremediation. This species can use the power of sunlight energy efficiently to fix atmospheric CO 2 and to generate valuable chemical compounds, such as carbohydrates and fatty acids, which can be converted to biofuels. As it grows in nutrient-rich wastewater (industrial effluent) it can serve as a bioabsorbant and replace costly chemical catalysts and nano-materials traditionally used for the removal of nutrients and metals. However, no recent review has presented the potential for state-of-the-art T. variabilisdriven phycoremediation-bioenergy production systems. This review suggests possible routes from phycoremediation to energy production as a strategy for developing the industrial application of T. variabilis. It brings important research results on this species together and highlights major related challenges and opportunities. It explores the current status of the use of algae in bioremediation and the production of liquid and gaseous fuels utilizing wild-type and mutants of T. variabilis. Finally, key points underlying the potential for future research on optimization of robust technologies for supplying sustainable bioenergy using this organism are presented.

Stress‐adaptive gene discovery by exploiting collective decision‐making of decentralized plant response systems

“…Nitrogen‐fixing cyanobacteria in the genus Anabaena grow as filaments consisting of chains of pluripotent photosynthetic cells when supplied with sufficient nitrate or ammonium in the growth medium (Abedi et al ., 2019a). Nitrogen limitation activates differentiation of one in every 10–20 photosynthetic cells into thick‐walled heterocysts, which are capable of fixing atmospheric N 2 (Abedi et al ., 2019b). Because N‐fixing nitrogenase enzymes are sensitive to O 2 , photosynthesis in the heterocysts is diminished and thick cell walls form a diffusion barrier to exclude dissolved oxygen uptake.…”

Home Sweet Home: Setting the Best Thriving Conditions for the Ad Hoc Engineered Microbial Consortium in the Zero Mile System

“…Therefore, the effects of two light intensities (white artificial light) have been analysed. The irradiance values chosen were 60 and 130 µmol of photons m −2 s −1 , with a temperature of 25 • C. These values allow the consortium to thrive well, since T. variabilis exhibits photosynthetic activity in a broad light intensity (42-562 µmol of photons m −2 s −1 ) and temperature range (10-35 • C; [24]).…”

Anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass for bioenergy production, removal of nutrients and microcystin: current status

“…Microalgae utilize sunlight, atmospheric CO 2 ; grow in industrial wastewater to provide valuable chemical compounds that could solve our energy crisis. They remediate the wastewater and prevent chemical agents and nanomaterials, which has been the practice for treating the wastes (Abedi et al 2019). Microalgae are appropriate renewable substrates for the AD to make CH 4 rich biogas and fertilizer.…”

“…They remediate the wastewater and prevent chemical agents and nanomaterials, which has been the practice for treating the wastes (Abedi et al . 2019). Microalgae are appropriate renewable substrates for the AD to make CH 4 rich biogas and fertilizer.…”