ABSTRACT. Considering the high biodiversity of microalgae and their important impact on economy and ecological balance, new screening techniques are needed for their phenotypic characterization and efficient valorization of bioactive components. This represents one the key purpose of the emerging bioeconomy concept, involving new biorefinery technologies coupled with advanced analytical tools. The article presents an overview of the recent extraction and chemical techniques used to recover, separate and characterize the main bioactive molecules (lipids and fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins and mycosporine-like amino acids chlorophylls and carotenoid pigments) syntesized by microalgae, considering their interesting applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Special focuses will be directed towards the cell disintegration and extraction procedures, identification and quantification of main metabolites by advanced analytical techniques.