Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Malaysia. showpauloke@gmail.com
  • 2 Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. PauLoke.Show@nottingham.edu.my
  • 3 Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan. dillirani@gmail.com
  • 4 Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. tcling@um.edu.my
  • 5 Chemical Engineering Discipline and Advanced Engineering Platform, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia. ooi.chien.wei@monash.edu
  • 6 Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan. changjs@mail.ncku.edu.tw
Int J Mol Sci, 2017 Jan 22;18(1).
PMID: 28117737 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18010215

Abstract

Microalgae contribute up to 60% of the oxygen content in the Earth's atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis. Microalgae are abundantly available in the natural environment, thanks to their ability to survive and grow rapidly under harsh and inhospitable conditions. Microalgal cultivation is environmentally friendly because the microalgal biomass can be utilized for the productions of biofuels, food and feed supplements, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. The cultivation of microalgal also can complement approaches like carbon dioxide sequestration and bioremediation of wastewaters, thereby addressing the serious environmental concerns. This review focuses on the factors affecting microalgal cultures, techniques adapted to obtain high-density microalgal cultures in photobioreactors, and the conversion of microalgal biomass into biofuels. The applications of microalgae in carbon dioxide sequestration and phycoremediation of wastewater are also discussed.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.