Unlocking the potential of microalgae as sustainable bioresources from up to downstream processing: A critical review

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2024-05, Vol.488, p.151124, Article 151124
• Main Authors: Diankristanti, Priskila Adjani, Hei Ernest Ho, Ngai, Chen, Jih-Heng, Nagarajan, Dillirani, Chen, Chun-Yen, Hsieh, Yu-Ming, Ng, I-Son, Chang, Jo-Shu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioreactor design; Carbon net-zero; Cultivation and harvesting; High-value compounds; Microalgae
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.151124

[Display omitted] •A two-stage cultivation strategy can increase both biomass and target product yield.•Sequential and multi-component extraction lead to downstream resource efficiency.•Seawater, wastewater, and recycled nutrients are crucial in maintaining efficiency.•Integrative design navigates trade-offs between environmental and economic aspects.•Life Cycle Costing and Sustainability Assessment broaden well-to-wheel analysis. Microalgae hold tremendous potential as sustainable bioresources in carbon capture, climate change mitigation, and the development of net-zero lifestyles. However, scaling up microalgae cultivation necessitates overcoming obstacles in strain selection, bioreactor design, and cultivation strategies. While microalgae were initially viewed as a simple biomass feedstock for energy security, emerging applications such as wastewater bioremediation, carbon capture, and the production of valuable chemicals have reshaped the overall perspective of microalgae. Exciting advancements in microalgal genetic engineering, encompassing evolutionary approach, CRISPR technology, modular cloning toolkits, and bioinformatics, pave the way for optimizing productivity and minimizing environmental footprints. This review delves into crucial aspects of microalgae cultivation, including harvesting, cell disruption, and waste valorization. Additionally, new understandings of integrative design and life-cycle assessment are discussed alongside the promise of bioenergy production, providing the current stage of development and challenges to handle. Ultimately, this review offers new perspectives on microalgal biotechnology aiming to contribute to an eco-friendly green paradigm.