Engineering and Plant

The demand for natural products isolated from microalgae has increased over the last decade and has attracted the attention of the food, cosmetics and nutraceutical industries. Microalgae are eukaryotic unicellular cells that combine several advantages for the development of biotechnological applications: high biodiversity, photosynthetic yield, growth, productivity and a metabolic plasticity that can be oriented using culture conditions. Some of these metabolites are molecules of interest such as pigments (e.g., carotenoids), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, e.g., omega-3 or -6 fatty acids), polysaccharides, vitamins (e.g. B12) and sterols that can be introduced as food supplements into human food and animal feed, e.g. In addition, most of them are bioactive molecules with anti-inflammatory activities,  antibacterial, antiUV, antifungal, anticancer and/or antioxidants that can bring added value to cosmetics, nutraceuticals or food products, eg.

Current energy systems not only put pressure on resource depletion and create problems for security of supply, but also lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions. After the development of first and second generation biofuels, increasing attention is now paid to third-generation technologies, which use microalgae as raw materials (characterized by high lipid content, high yield in oil and biodiesel, low land use).

As with any other biomass source, the production of algal biofuels depends mainly on the selected algal species and their properties.

• Biodiesel – From the conversion of oils (lipids) of these microorganisms.
• Biogas – Obtained from the anaerobic digestion of the entire algal biomass or lipid extraction residues.
• Bioethanol and biobutanol – Both obtained from the fermentation of algal carbohydrates by microbes or yeasts.
• Bio-based crude oil.
• Singas – Gasification of algae at 800◦C–1000◦C occurs by partial oxidation of algal biomass with oxygen and steam to produce syngas, which is mainly composed of H2,CH4, CO and CO2.
• Biomethane – Anaerobic digestion of biomass with high water content (80-90%) is ideal for conversion into biogas composed mainly (69-75%) of methane.
• Medium distilled hydrocarbons – It is possible to convert algae oil directly into green diesel or jet fuel, where trials have already been done on commercial and military aircraft using algae biofuel blends.
• Bio hydrogen – Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future. Microalgae have the natural genetic characteristics needed to split water using solar energy to produce hydrogen.

Biofertilizers based on microalgae extracts are an ecologically sustainable alternative to boost agricultural production and protect crops. This field is one of the most promising areas of biotechnology and bioengineering, full of potential to be discovered. Microalgae are multifunctional microscopic organisms, capable of carrying out photosynthesis and providing plants with nitrogen in readily assimilable forms, as well as improving their development through the action of phytohormones such as auxins, gibberellins and cytokines, as well as providing them with essential macro and micronutrients.  So they promote the chemical and biological properties of the soil, as well as restore its fertility and stimulate plant growth. They increase the properties of resistance to pests and diseases, improving stress management (drought, salinity and temperature). In addition, they provide an important step in sustainable agriculture), being environmentally friendly.

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