Microalgal biomass has consistently been recognized for its diverse potential applications, particularly in advancing sustainable agricultural practices. As a resource rich in bioactive compounds, carbon, and nitrogen, microalgal biomass can significantly enhance plant resilience to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes. Essential molecular pathways—including stress signaling, osmolyte biosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species scavenging—are modulated by microalgal residues to foster plant adaptation. Additionally, microalgae play a crucial role in improving soil health by increasing organic matter content, stimulating microbial activity, and restructuring soil physical properties, notably in degraded or saline-alkali soils. Despite these promising advances, deeper insights into the mechanistic interactions between microalgae, plants, and soil systems are urgently needed.
This Research Topic aims to explore the intricate interplay between microalgal biomass, plant stress responses, and soil enhancement, ultimately unlocking new sustainable applications. Key objectives include unraveling the molecular mechanisms driving plant stress modulation by microalgae, optimizing technological approaches to enhance biomass production, and exploring circular bioeconomy models in alignment with global green agriculture policies. Furthermore, this initiative seeks to identify scalable methods integrating microalgae cultivation with wastewater treatment to achieve effective resource recovery and pollution reduction, thereby fostering a viable circular bioeconomy.
To gather further insights into the sustainable applications of microalgal biomass, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Molecular Mechanisms: Transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenetics of plant-microalgae-microbe interactions. - Technological Optimization: Advances in microalgal breeding and closed-loop system engineering. - Soil-Plant-Microbe Interactions: Microbial metagenomics and nutrient cycling dynamics. - Circular System Design: Scaling integrated models and conducting techno-economic assessments. - Policy and Sustainability: Economic viability, life cycle analysis, and climate-resilient frameworks.
We invite original research, reviews, and case studies that contribute to advancing sustainable agricultural innovation through the use of microalgal biomass.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
