Microalgae Culturing To Produce Biobased Diesel Fuels: An Overview of the Basics, Challenges, and a Look toward a True Biorefinery Future

Abstract

Microalgae is envisioned by many experts to be one of the key future feedstocks for producing transportation fuels and other chemical products. The concept has many positive aspects inclusive of being fully renewable, having minimal carbon footprint, and being able to be implemented in low value agricultural lands. There has been a tremendous amount of developmental work done to commercialize the concept since the mid-1900s; however, the reality is that the cost for a gallon of microalgae oil is still too expensive to be considered a viable option to produce biobased diesels at this time. Expanding the production of more than one or two products from a microalgae biorefinery is an economic must. Products derived from the algal cake must be developed and commercialized to offset the high cost of oil production. This paper will investigate the status of the concept and provide insight into directions needed to improve economic viability.

Evaluation of antioxidant and anticancer activity of crude extract and different fractions of Chlorella vulgaris axenic culture grown under various concentrations of copper ions

“…The nutrimental factors are considered as manipulation of culture media composition (carbon source, nitrogen, phosphorus and iron deficiency), while physical is described as manipulation in operation conditions and external factors that affect the microalgae growth (high light intensities, temperature, pH, salinity and electromagnetic fields) [25,26].…”

Potential Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Secondary Metabolites of Nostoc linckia Cultivated under Zn and Cu Stress Conditions

“…Regulation, alarming stage, and adaptability are various steps of stress responses [27]. Stress strategies have been used to enhance high synthesis of active compounds using individual stress parameters, such as dietary factors (e.g., nitrogen, and carbon) and environmental factors (e.g., pH, temperature, light intensities, and salinity) [28][29][30]. Cu and Zn at high concentration has been shown to produce oxidative stress in an alga test by enhancing lipid peroxidation, membrane permeability, and lowering sulfhydryl level [30].…”

Enhancing Photosynthetic Starch Production by γ-Aminobutyric Acid Addition in a Marine Green Microalga Tetraselmis subcordiformis under Nitrogen Stress

“…Microalgae refer to a kind of photosynthetic microorganism that is gaining great attention for its potential of addressing energy, environment, and health issues by producing sustainable feedstocks for biofuels (e.g., bioethanol and biodiesel) and high-value compounds such as polysaccharide, PUFA, and protein. , Starch serves as the primary photosynthetic carbon reserve in many species of microalgae . It is regarded as a promising supplement or even substitute to crop-based starch in the production of food, renewable fuels, and biobased chemicals because of its similar structure to plant starch and the favorable features of microalgae such as high photosynthetic efficiency and CO 2 mitigation ability, fast growth, flexible cultivation modes, and no competition for arable lands. − …”