Irini Angelidaki, PhD, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
Sonia Mohamadnia, PhD, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
Hector Ruiz, PhD, Food Research Department, School of Chemistry at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico
Image credit: © [M] divedog / stock.adobe.com
Pharmaceutical safety is an increasing global priority, particularly as the demand for therapeutic compounds rises alongside population growth. Phytocannabinoids, a class of bioactive polyketide molecules deri...
Biofuels produced from algae have enormous advantages in replacing fossil fuels, and Microcystis aeruginosa has a great potential for biofuel production, due to growing fast to form large amounts of biomass. Ligh...
The urgent need to mitigate climate change requires finding sustainable and efficient alternatives to fossil fuel-based materials. Biosequestration by microalgae has been suggested as a potential method for cl...
Astaxanthin is a red pigment required by feed, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries for its pigmentation and antioxidant properties. This carotenoid is one of the main high-value products that can nowadays b...
Microalgae are promising sources of valuable carotenoids like β-carotene and astaxanthin with numerous health benefits. This review summarizes recent studies on producing these carotenoids in microalgae under ...
The gradual extrusion of water-soluble intracellular components (such as proteins) from microalgae after pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment is a well-documented phenomenon. This could be utilized in biorefi...
For biofuels and nutraceuticals, the green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae) is a prospective source of biomass and lipids. This study examined how biomass production and lipid accumulation wer...
Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a versatile marine microalga renowned for its high-value metabolite production, including omega-3 fatty acids and fucoxanthin, with emerging potential for integrated biorefinery appro...
Oleaginous green microalgae are often mentioned in algae-based biodiesel industry, but most of them belong to specific genus (Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Botryococcus and Desmodesmus). Thus, the microalgal germplasm ...
Biofuel production has emerged as a leading contender in the quest for renewable energy solutions, offering a promising path toward a greener future. This comprehensive state-of-the-art review delves into the ...
With the increasing global population, gradual depletion of fossil fuels, and intensification of environmental pollution, it’s necessary to find a sustainable, safe, and pollution-free substitute for food and energy production. Out of all the new sustainable food and energy sources, biomass is growing as a popular renewable source of food and energy due to its several benefits, including zero carbon dioxide emissions, low pollution, and high yield. Among these, algae have attracted growing attention as a significant source of renewable biomass. Algae are efficient at fixing carbon dioxide (CO₂) or other carbon substances and converting them into biomass and sustainable valuable bioproducts e.g., protein, carbohydrate, lipid, carotenoid, and phenolic compounds. Their worldwide distribution, robust environmental adaptation, short life cycles, and high photosynthetic efficiency make them promising feedstock for various applications in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. In the last few years, there has been increased interest in developing commercially viable high-value compounds from both micro and macro-algae.
This special collection focuses on, but not limited to, the publications of Original Research and Review articles on the biorefinery and cultivation process of algae and the utilization of algal biomass for high-value-added products, which mainly include;
- Polysaccharides: Polysaccharides present in algal biomass can be processed and utilized as biopolymers, prebiotics, plant bio-stimulants, and thickening/ lubrication agents. The monosaccharides e.g., glucose, fucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, etc., can be also extracted from polysaccharides and have potential applications in the food and biomedical industry.
- Phlorotannins: A type of tannins found only in brown algae. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.
- Lipids: These are one of the primary products extracted from algae. They are used in the production of biodiesel and other biofuels. Various biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, crude oil, pyrolytic bio-oil, biomethane, biohydrogen, and bio-jet fuel.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): These are essential fatty acids that the body can’t make, the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids such as Arachidonic acid (ARA), Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They’re used in various health supplements.
- Proteins and peptides: Including phycobiliproteins, photosystem proteins, human therapeutic proteins from transgenic algae, etc.
- Terpenoids: A large and diverse class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from terpenes. They have various biological activities and are used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
- Pigments: Algae produce pigments like chlorophylls and a wide range of carotenoids which have applications in the food, feed, and cosmeceutical industries.
- Vitamins and Nutraceuticals: Some algal species contain high levels of different water and lipid-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, B-complex, C, D2, D3, E, and K.
Irini Angelidaki, PhD, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
Sonia Mohamadnia, PhD, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
Her work primarily focuses on the algae-based approaches, development, optimization, and upscaling of the cultivation of various species of algae and mutated strains to produce valuable bioproducts including biofuels, pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals.
Hector Ruiz, PhD, Food Research Department, School of Chemistry at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico
This Collection welcomes submission of original research and review articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal.
Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system. Please, select the appropriate Collection title “Algal Biomass for Sustainable High-Value Bioproducts" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.
Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.
The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.