Global warming, energy, wastewater remediation, healthy, sustainable food production, and contaminated aquatic bodies are some of the most pressing global sustainability challenges we face today. The use of microalgae-based technologies can assist us (remove us/we etc) in moving toward a more sustainable world, both economically and environmentally. However, in order to capitalize on the economically viable potential of accumulating bioproducts and biofuels in microalgal biomass, new technical processes must be developed. In this regard, co-cultivation of microalgae with other microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi is advantageous for improving both upstream and downstream processing of microalgal biomass and bioproducts.
Sustainable systems for the complete valorization of algal biomass into biofuels and -based products is the need of the hour. Recent studies have highlighted the symbiotic interactions between microalgae and other microorganisms for augmenting biomass, productivity of storage compounds such as lipids and carbohydrates, value added products (such as vitamins, bioactive metabolites, probiotics, and carotenoids), as well as utilization and mitigation of various types of wastewaters and minimizing culture crashes in outdoor systems. Notably, co-cultivation of algae and fungi has grown in popularity due to efficient bio flocculation, which reduces the energy cost associated with biomass harvesting. In addition, utilization of “OMICS” approaches to understand the complex mutualism between microalgae and other microorganisms have disentangled the regulatory pathways and facilitated access to metabolic pathways for genetic manipulations making co-culture technology more efficient. As it stands, co-culture technologies that focus on developing biorefineries will lead the way to commercialization in the future.
This ‘Research Topic’ invites original research work/Review/Mini Review addressing co-culture of microalgae with other microorganisms to enhance the efficiency of microalgae-based biofuels and bioproducts. Symbiotic interactions of microalgae with other microbes for improving biomass/bioproduct productivity, bioremediation of wastewater or toxic metals and compounds, minimizing culture crashes and enhancing flocculation of biomass. Co-culture of microalgae with other algal strains/species for enhancing biomass productivity and decreasing contamination risk are also included. Applications of OMICS technologies including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics shedding novel insights into the symbiotic interaction between the two microorganisms would also be welcome.
Global warming, energy, wastewater remediation, healthy, sustainable food production, and contaminated aquatic bodies are some of the most pressing global sustainability challenges we face today. The use of microalgae-based technologies can assist us (remove us/we etc) in moving toward a more sustainable world, both economically and environmentally. However, in order to capitalize on the economically viable potential of accumulating bioproducts and biofuels in microalgal biomass, new technical processes must be developed. In this regard, co-cultivation of microalgae with other microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi is advantageous for improving both upstream and downstream processing of microalgal biomass and bioproducts.
Sustainable systems for the complete valorization of algal biomass into biofuels and -based products is the need of the hour. Recent studies have highlighted the symbiotic interactions between microalgae and other microorganisms for augmenting biomass, productivity of storage compounds such as lipids and carbohydrates, value added products (such as vitamins, bioactive metabolites, probiotics, and carotenoids), as well as utilization and mitigation of various types of wastewaters and minimizing culture crashes in outdoor systems. Notably, co-cultivation of algae and fungi has grown in popularity due to efficient bio flocculation, which reduces the energy cost associated with biomass harvesting. In addition, utilization of “OMICS” approaches to understand the complex mutualism between microalgae and other microorganisms have disentangled the regulatory pathways and facilitated access to metabolic pathways for genetic manipulations making co-culture technology more efficient. As it stands, co-culture technologies that focus on developing biorefineries will lead the way to commercialization in the future.
This ‘Research Topic’ invites original research work/Review/Mini Review addressing co-culture of microalgae with other microorganisms to enhance the efficiency of microalgae-based biofuels and bioproducts. Symbiotic interactions of microalgae with other microbes for improving biomass/bioproduct productivity, bioremediation of wastewater or toxic metals and compounds, minimizing culture crashes and enhancing flocculation of biomass. Co-culture of microalgae with other algal strains/species for enhancing biomass productivity and decreasing contamination risk are also included. Applications of OMICS technologies including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics shedding novel insights into the symbiotic interaction between the two microorganisms would also be welcome.