Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 49 in total

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  1. Fan S, Ji B, Abu Hasan H, Fan J, Guo S, Wang J, et al.
    Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2021 Aug;44(8):1733-1739.
    PMID: 33772637 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-021-02556-0
    Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) process has become a focal point in treating municipal wastewater. However, it remains elusive whether the emerging process can be applied for the treatment of aquaculture wastewater, which contains considerable concentrations of nitrate and nitrite. This study evaluated the feasibility of MBGS process for aquaculture wastewater treatment. Result showed that the MBGS process was competent to remove respective 64.8%, 84.9%, 70.8%, 50.0% and 84.2% of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen and phosphate-phosphorus under non-aerated conditions within 8 h. The dominant microalgae and bacteria were identified to be Coelastrella and Rhodobacteraceae, respectively. Further metagenomics analysis implied that microbial assimilation was the main contributor in organics, nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Specifically, considerable nitrate and nitrite removals were also obtained with the synergy between microalgae and bacteria. Consequently, this work demonstrated that the MBGS process showed a prospect of becoming an environmentally friendly and efficient alternative in aquaculture wastewater treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  2. Sankaran R, Show PL, Cheng YS, Tao Y, Ao X, Nguyen TDP, et al.
    Mol Biotechnol, 2018 Oct;60(10):749-761.
    PMID: 30116991 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-018-0111-6
    Microalgae are the most promising sources of protein, which have high potential due to their high-value protein content. Conventional methods of protein harnessing required multiple steps, and they are generally complex, time consuming, and expensive. Currently, the study of integration methods for microalgae cell disruption and protein recovery process as a single-step process is attracting considerable interest. This study aims to investigate the novel approach of integration method of electrolysis and liquid biphasic flotation for protein extraction from wet biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana CY-1 and obtaining the optimal operating conditions for the protein extraction. The optimized conditions were found at 60% (v/v) of 1-propanol as top phase, 250 g/L of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate as bottom phase, crude microalgae loading of 0.1 g, air flowrate of 150 cc/min, flotation time of 10 min, voltage of 20 V and electrode's tip touching the top phase of LBEF. The protein recovery and separation efficiency after optimization were 23.4106 ± 1.2514% and 173.0870 ± 4.4752%, respectively. Comparison for LBEF with and without the aid of electric supply was also conducted, and it was found that with the aid of electrolysis, the protein recovery and separation efficiency increased compared to the LBEF without electrolysis. This novel approach minimizes the steps for overall protein recovery from microalgae, time consumption, and cost of operation, which is beneficial in bioprocessing industry.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism
  3. Harun R, Danquah MK, Thiruvenkadam S
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:435631.
    PMID: 24971327 DOI: 10.1155/2014/435631
    Effective optimization of microalgae-to-bioethanol process systems hinges on an in-depth characterization of key process parameters relevant to the overall bioprocess engineering. One of the such important variables is the biomass particle size distribution and the effects on saccharification levels and bioethanol titres. This study examined the effects of three different microalgal biomass particle size ranges, 35 μm ≤ x ≤ 90 μm, 125 μm ≤ x ≤ 180 μm, and 295 μm ≤ x ≤ 425 μm, on the degree of enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol production. Two scenarios were investigated: single enzyme hydrolysis (cellulase) and double enzyme hydrolysis (cellulase and cellobiase). The glucose yield from biomass in the smallest particle size range (35 μm ≤ x ≤ 90 μm) was the highest, 134.73 mg glucose/g algae, while the yield from biomass in the larger particle size range (295 μm ≤ x ≤ 425 μm) was 75.45 mg glucose/g algae. A similar trend was observed for bioethanol yield, with the highest yield of 0.47 g EtOH/g glucose obtained from biomass in the smallest particle size range. The results have shown that the microalgal biomass particle size has a significant effect on enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol yield.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  4. Cheah WY, Show PL, Yap YJ, Mohd Zaid HF, Lam MK, Lim JW, et al.
    Bioengineered, 2020 12;11(1):61-69.
    PMID: 31884878 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2019.1704536
    Chlorella sorokiniana CY-1 was cultivated using palm oil mill effluent (POME) in a novel-designed photobioreactor (NPBR) and glass-made vessel photobioreactor (PBR). The comparison was made on biomass and lipid productions, as well as its pollutants removal efficiencies. NPBR is transparent and is developed in thin flat panels with a high surface area per volume ratio. It is equipped with microbubbling and baffles retention, ensuring effective light and CO2 utilization. The triangular shape of this reactor at the bottom serves to ease microalgae cell harvesting by sedimentation. Both biomass and lipid yields attained in NPBR were 2.3-2.9 folds higher than cultivated in PBR. The pollutants removal efficiencies achieved were 93.7% of chemical oxygen demand, 98.6% of total nitrogen and 96.0% of total phosphorus. Mathematical model revealed that effective light received and initial mass contributes toward successful microalgae cultivation. Overall, the results revealed the potential of NPBR integration in Chlorella sorokiniana CY-1 cultivation, with an aim to achieve greater feasibility in microalgal-based biofuel real application and for environmental sustainability.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  5. Hariz HB, Takriff MS
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Sep;24(25):20209-20240.
    PMID: 28791508 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9742-6
    In this era of globalization, various products and technologies are being developed by the industries. While resources and energy are utilized from processes, wastes are being excreted through water streams, air, and ground. Without realizing it, environmental pollutions increase as the country develops. Effective technology is desired to create green factories that are able to overcome these issues. Wastewater is classified as the water coming from domestic or industrial sources. Wastewater treatment includes physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes. Aerobic and anaerobic processes are utilized in biological treatment approach. However, the current biological approaches emit greenhouse gases (GHGs), methane, and carbon dioxide that contribute to global warming. Microalgae can be the alternative to treating wastewater as it is able to consume nutrients from wastewater loading and fix CO2 as it undergoes photosynthesis. The utilization of microalgae in the system will directly reduce GHG emissions with low operating cost within a short period of time. The aim of this review is to discuss the uses of native microalgae species in palm oil mill effluent (POME) and flue gas remediation. In addition, the discussion on the optimal microalgae cultivation parameter selection is included as this is significant for effective microalgae-based treatment operations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  6. Talebi AF, Tohidfar M, Mousavi Derazmahalleh SM, Sulaiman A, Baharuddin AS, Tabatabaei M
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:597198.
    PMID: 26146623 DOI: 10.1155/2015/597198
    Exploitation of renewable sources of energy such as algal biodiesel could turn energy supplies problem around. Studies on a locally isolated strain of Dunaliella sp. showed that the mean lipid content in cultures enriched by 200 mg L(-1) myoinositol was raised by around 33% (1.5 times higher than the control). Similarly, higher lipid productivity values were achieved in cultures treated by 100 and 200 mg L(-1) myoinositol. Fluorometry analyses (microplate fluorescence and flow cytometry) revealed increased oil accumulation in the Nile red-stained algal samples. Moreover, it was predicted that biodiesel produced from myoinositol-treated cells possessed improved oxidative stability, cetane number, and cloud point values. From the genomic point of view, real-time analyses revealed that myoinositol negatively influenced transcript abundance of AccD gene (one of the key genes involved in lipid production pathway) due to feedback inhibition and that its positive effect must have been exerted through other genes. The findings of the current research are not to interprete that myoinositol supplementation could answer all the challenges faced in microalgal biodiesel production but instead to show that "there is a there there" for biochemical modulation strategies, which we achieved, increased algal oil quantity and enhanced resultant biodiesel quality.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  7. Tan JS, Lee SY, Chew KW, Lam MK, Lim JW, Ho SH, et al.
    Bioengineered, 2020 12;11(1):116-129.
    PMID: 31909681 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2020.1711626
    The richness of high-value bio-compounds derived from microalgae has made microalgae a promising and sustainable source of useful product. The present work starts with a review on the usage of open pond and photobioreactor in culturing various microalgae strains, followed by an in-depth evaluation on the common harvesting techniques used to collect microalgae from culture medium. The harvesting methods discussed include filtration, centrifugation, flocculation, and flotation. Additionally, the advanced extraction technologies using ionic liquids as extractive solvents applied to extract high-value bio-compounds such as lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and other bioactive compounds from microalgae biomass are summarized and discussed. However, more work needs to be done to fully utilize the potential of microalgae biomass for the application in large-scale production of biofuels, food additives, and nutritive supplements.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism
  8. Chia WY, Kok H, Chew KW, Low SS, Show PL
    Bioengineered, 2021 Dec;12(1):1226-1237.
    PMID: 33858291 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1910432
    The world at large is facing a new threat with the emergence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Though imperceptible by the naked eye, the medical, sociological and economical implications caused by this newly discovered virus have been and will continue to be a great impediment to our lives. This health threat has already caused over two million deaths worldwide in the span of a year and its mortality rate is projected to continue rising. In this review, the potential of algae in combating the spread of COVID-19 is investigated since algal compounds have been tested against viruses and algal anti-inflammatory compounds have the potential to treat the severe symptoms of COVID-19. The possible utilization of algae in producing value-added products such as serological test kits, vaccines, and supplements that would either mitigate or hinder the continued health risks caused by the virus is prominent. Many of the characteristics in algae can provide insights on the development of microalgae to fight against SARS-CoV-2 or other viruses and contribute in manufacturing various green and high-value products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism
  9. Begum H, Yusoff FM, Banerjee S, Khatoon H, Shariff M
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2016 Oct 02;56(13):2209-22.
    PMID: 25674822 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2013.764841
    Microalgae are the major photosynthesizers on earth and produce important pigments that include chlorophyll a, b and c, β-carotene, astaxanthin, xanthophylls, and phycobiliproteins. Presently, synthetic colorants are used in food, cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. However, due to problems associated with the harmful effects of synthetic colorants, exploitation of microalgal pigments as a source of natural colors becomes an attractive option. There are various factors such as nutrient availability, salinity, pH, temperature, light wavelength, and light intensity that affect pigment production in microalgae. This paper reviews the availability and characteristics of microalgal pigments, factors affecting pigment production, and the application of pigments produced from microalgae. The potential of microalgal pigments as a source of natural colors is enormous as an alternative to synthetic coloring agents, which has limited applications due to regulatory practice for health reasons.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism
  10. Medipally SR, Yusoff FM, Banerjee S, Shariff M
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:519513.
    PMID: 25874216 DOI: 10.1155/2015/519513
    The world energy crisis and increased greenhouse gas emissions have driven the search for alternative and environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. According to life cycle analysis, microalgae biofuel is identified as one of the major renewable energy sources for sustainable development, with potential to replace the fossil-based fuels. Microalgae biofuel was devoid of the major drawbacks associated with oil crops and lignocelluloses-based biofuels. Algae-based biofuels are technically and economically viable and cost competitive, require no additional lands, require minimal water use, and mitigate atmospheric CO2. However, commercial production of microalgae biodiesel is still not feasible due to the low biomass concentration and costly downstream processes. The viability of microalgae biodiesel production can be achieved by designing advanced photobioreactors, developing low cost technologies for biomass harvesting, drying, and oil extraction. Commercial production can also be accomplished by improving the genetic engineering strategies to control environmental stress conditions and by engineering metabolic pathways for high lipid production. In addition, new emerging technologies such as algal-bacterial interactions for enhancement of microalgae growth and lipid production are also explored. This review focuses mainly on the problems encountered in the commercial production of microalgae biofuels and the possible techniques to overcome these difficulties.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  11. Hong WK, Rairakhwada D, Seo PS, Park SY, Hur BK, Kim CH, et al.
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2011 Aug;164(8):1468-80.
    PMID: 21424706 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-011-9227-x
    In the present study, a novel oleaginous Thraustochytrid containing a high content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was isolated from a mangrove ecosystem in Malaysia. The strain identified as an Aurantiochytrium sp. by 18S rRNA sequencing and named KRS101 used various carbon and nitrogen sources, indicating metabolic versatility. Optimal culture conditions, thus maximizing cell growth, and high levels of lipid and DHA production, were attained using glucose (60 g l⁻¹) as carbon source, corn steep solid (10 g l⁻¹) as nitrogen source, and sea salt (15 g l⁻¹). The highest biomass, lipid, and DHA production of KRS101 upon fed-batch fermentation were 50.2 g l⁻¹ (16.7 g l⁻¹ day⁻¹), 21.8 g l⁻¹ (44% DCW), and 8.8 g l⁻¹ (40% TFA), respectively. Similar values were obtained when a cheap substrate like molasses, rather than glucose, was used as the carbon source (DCW of 52.44 g l⁻¹, lipid and DHA levels of 20.2 and 8.83 g l⁻¹, respectively), indicating that production of microbial oils containing high levels of DHA can be produced economically when the novel strain is used.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  12. Binti Ibnu Rasid EN, Mohamad SE, Jamaluddin H, Salleh MM
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2014 Feb;172(4):2160-74.
    PMID: 24338298 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-013-0644-x
    Astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment found in several aquatic organisms, is responsible for the red colour of salmon, trout and crustaceans. In this study, astaxanthin production from freshwater microalga Chlorella sorokiniana and marine microalga Tetraselmis sp. was investigated. Cell growth and astaxanthin production were determined spectrophotometrically at 620 and 480 nm, respectively. Astaxanthin was extracted using acetone and measured subsequent to biomass removal. Aerated conditions favoured astaxanthin production in C. sorokiniana, whereas Tetraselmis sp. was best cultured under unaerated conditions. C. sorokiniana produced more astaxanthin with the highest yield reached at 7.83 mg/l in 6.0 mM in nitrate containing medium compared to Tetraselmis sp. which recorded the highest yield of only 1.96 mg/l in 1.5 mM nitrate containing medium. Production in C. sorokiniana started at the early exponential phase, indicating that astaxanthin may be a growth-associated product in this microalga. Further optimization of astaxanthin production was performed using C. sorokiniana through a 2(3) full factorial experimental design, and a yield of 8.39 mg/l was achieved. Overall, the study has shown that both microalgae are capable of producing astaxanthin. Additionally, this research has highlighted C. sorokiniana as a potential astaxanthin producer that could serve as a natural astaxanthin source in the current market.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  13. Yousuf A, Khan MR, Islam MA, Wahid ZA, Pirozzi D
    Biotechnol Lett, 2017 Jan;39(1):13-23.
    PMID: 27659031 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-016-2217-x
    Microbial oils are considered as alternative to vegetable oils or animal fats as biodiesel feedstock. Microalgae and oleaginous yeast are the main candidates of microbial oil producers' community. However, biodiesel synthesis from these sources is associated with high cost and process complexity. The traditional transesterification method includes several steps such as biomass drying, cell disruption, oil extraction and solvent recovery. Therefore, direct transesterification or in situ transesterification, which combines all the steps in a single reactor, has been suggested to make the process cost effective. Nevertheless, the process is not applicable for large-scale biodiesel production having some difficulties such as high water content of biomass that makes the reaction rate slower and hurdles of cell disruption makes the efficiency of oil extraction lower. Additionally, it requires high heating energy in the solvent extraction and recovery stage. To resolve these difficulties, this review suggests the application of antimicrobial peptides and high electric fields to foster the microbial cell wall disruption.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  14. Tan YH, Lim PE, Beardall J, Poong SW, Phang SM
    Aquat Toxicol, 2019 Dec;217:105349.
    PMID: 31734626 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.105349
    Ocean acidification, due to increased levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, is known to affect the physiology and growth of marine phytoplankton, especially in polar regions. However, the effect of acidification or carbonation on cellular metabolism in polar marine phytoplankton still remains an open question. There is some evidence that small chlorophytes may benefit more than other taxa of phytoplankton. To understand further how green polar picoplankton could acclimate to high oceanic CO2, studies were conducted on an Antarctic Chlorella sp. Chlorella sp. maintained its growth rate (∼0.180 d-1), photosynthetic quantum yield (Fv/Fm = ∼0.69) and chlorophyll a (0.145 fg cell-1) and carotenoid (0.06 fg cell-1) contents under high CO2, while maximum rates of electron transport decreased and non-photochemical quenching increased under elevated CO2. GCMS-based metabolomic analysis reveal that this polar Chlorella strain modulated the levels of metabolites associated with energy, amino acid, fatty acid and carbohydrate production, which could favour its survival in an increasingly acidified ocean.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  15. Balasubramaniam V, Gunasegavan RD, Mustar S, Lee JC, Mohd Noh MF
    Molecules, 2021 Feb 10;26(4).
    PMID: 33579001 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26040943
    Microalgae are known as a rich source of bioactive compounds which exhibit different biological activities. Increased demand for sustainable biomass for production of important bioactive components with various potential especially therapeutic applications has resulted in noticeable interest in algae. Utilisation of microalgae in multiple scopes has been growing in various industries ranging from harnessing renewable energy to exploitation of high-value products. The focuses of this review are on production and the use of value-added components obtained from microalgae with current and potential application in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, energy and agri-food industries, as well as for bioremediation. Moreover, this work discusses the advantage, potential new beneficial strains, applications, limitations, research gaps and future prospect of microalgae in industry.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  16. Raman R, Mohamad SE
    Pak J Biol Sci, 2012 Dec 15;15(24):1182-6.
    PMID: 23755409
    There are numerous commercial applications of microalgae nowadays owing to their vast biotechnological and economical potential. Indisputably, astaxanthin is one of the high value product synthesized by microalgae and is achieving commercial success. Astaxanthin is a keto-carotenoid pigment found in many aquatic animals including microalgae. Astaxanthin cannot be synthesized by animals and provided in the diet is compulsory. In this study, the production of astaxanthin by the freshwater microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana and marine microalgae Tetraselmis sp. were studied. The relationship between growth and astaxanthin production by marine and freshwater microalgae cultivated under various carbon sources and concentrations, environmental conditions and nitrate concentrations was investigated in this study. Inorganic carbon source and low nitrate concentration favored the growth and production of astaxanthin by the marine microalgae Tetraselmis sp. and the freshwater microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana. Outdoor cultivation enhanced the growth of microalgae, while indoor cultivation promoted the formation of astaxanthin. The results indicated that supplementation of light, inorganic carbon and nitrate could be effectively manipulated to enhance the production of astaxanthin by both microalgae studied.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  17. Kassim MA, Meng TK
    Sci Total Environ, 2017 Apr 15;584-585:1121-1129.
    PMID: 28169025 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.172
    Carbon dioxide (CO2) using biological process is one of the promising approaches for CO2 capture and storage. Recently, biological sequestration using microalgae has gained many interest due to its capability to utilize CO2 as carbon source and biomass produced can be used as a feedstock for other value added product for instance biofuel and chemicals. In this study, the CO2 biofixation by two microalgae species, Chlorella sp. and Tetraselmis suecica was investigated using different elevated CO2 concentration. The effect of CO2 concentration on microalgae growth kinetic, biofixation and its chemical composition were determined using 0.04, 5, 15 and 30% CO2. The variation of initial pH value and its relationship on CO2 concentration toward cultivation medium was also investigated. The present study indicated that both microalgae displayed different tolerance toward CO2 concentration. The maximum biomass production and biofixation for Chlorella sp. of 0.64gL-1 and 96.89mgL-1d-1 was obtained when the cultivation was carried out using 5 and 15% CO2, respectively. In contrast, the maximum biomass production and CO2 biofixation for T. suecica of 0.72gL-1 and 111.26mgL-1d-1 were obtained from cultivation using 15 and 5% CO2. The pH value for the cultivation medium using CO2 was between 7.5 and 9, which is favorable for microalgal growth. The potential of biomass obtained from the cultivation as a biorefinery feedstock was also evaluated. An anaerobic fermentation of the microalgae biomass by bacteria Clostridium saccharoperbutylacenaticum N1-4 produced various type of value added product such as organic acid and solvent. Approximately 0.27 and 0.90gL-1 of organic acid, which corresponding to acetic and butyric acid were produced from the fermentation of Chlorella sp. and T. suecica biomass. Overall, this study suggests that Chlorella sp. and T. suecica are efficient microorganism that can be used for CO2 biofixation and as a feedstock for chemical production.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  18. Cha TS, Chen JW, Goh EG, Aziz A, Loh SH
    Bioresour Technol, 2011 Nov;102(22):10633-40.
    PMID: 21967717 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.09.042
    This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of different nitrate concentrations in culture medium on oil content and fatty acid composition of Chlorella vulgaris (UMT-M1) and Chlorella sorokiniana (KS-MB2). Results showed that both species produced significant higher (p<0.05) oil content at nitrate ranging from 0.18 to 0.66 mM with C. vulgaris produced 10.20-11.34% dw, while C. sorokiniana produced 15.44-17.32% dw. The major fatty acids detected include C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3. It is interesting to note that both species displayed differentially regulated fatty acid accumulation patterns in response to nitrate treatments at early stationary growth phase. Their potential use for biodiesel application could be enhanced by exploring the concept of binary blending of the two microalgae oils using developed mathematical equations to calculate the oil mass blending ratio and simultaneously estimated the weight percentage (wt.%) of desirable fatty acid compositions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  19. Nguyen TDP, Le TVA, Show PL, Nguyen TT, Tran MH, Tran TNT, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2019 Jan;272:34-39.
    PMID: 30308405 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.09.146
    Microalgal bacterial flocs can be a promising approach for microalgae harvesting and wastewater treatment. The present study provides an insight on the bioflocs formation to enhance harvesting of Chlorella vulgaris and the removal of nutrients from seafood wastewater effluent. The results showed that the untreated seafood wastewater was the optimal culture medium for the cultivation and bioflocculation of C. vulgaris, with the flocculating activity of 92.0 ± 6.0%, total suspended solids removal of 93.0 ± 5.5%, and nutrient removal of 88.0 ± 2.2%. The bioflocs collected under this optimal condition contained dry matter of 107.2 ± 5.6 g·L-1 and chlorophyll content of 25.5 ± 0.2 mg·L-1. The results were promising when compared to those obtained from the auto-flocculation process that induced by the addition of calcium chloride and pH adjustment. Additionally, bacteria present in the wastewater aided to promote the formation of bioflocculation process.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism*
  20. Lam MK, Lee KT
    Biotechnol Adv, 2012 May-Jun;30(3):673-90.
    PMID: 22166620 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.11.008
    Culturing of microalgae as an alternative feedstock for biofuel production has received a lot of attention in recent years due to their fast growth rate and ability to accumulate high quantity of lipid and carbohydrate inside their cells for biodiesel and bioethanol production, respectively. In addition, this superior feedstock offers several environmental benefits, such as effective land utilization, CO(2) sequestration, self-purification if coupled with wastewater treatment and does not trigger food versus fuel feud. Despite having all these 'theoretical' advantages, review on problems and issues related to energy balance in microalgae biofuel are not clearly addressed until now. Base on the maturity of current technology, the true potential of microalgae biofuel towards energy security and its feasibility for commercialization are still questionable. Thus, this review is aimed to depict the practical problems that are facing the microalgae biofuel industry, covering upstream to downstream activities by accessing the latest research reports and critical data analysis. Apart from that, several interlink solutions to the problems will be suggested with the purpose to bring current microalgae biofuel research into a new dimension and consequently, to revolutionize the entire microalgae biofuel industry towards long-term sustainability.
    Matched MeSH terms: Microalgae/metabolism
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