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Special Issue "Physiology and Biotechnology of Microalgae"

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2020) | Viewed by 23892

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Leonel Pereira

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Guest Editor

Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: phycology; marine biotechnology; biodiversity; food science; bioactive compouds from algae
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Dr. Joana Silva

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ALLMICROALGAE, Natural Products S.A. Microalgae Industry Production, 2445-411 Pataias, Portugal
Interests: phycology; microalgae; industrial cultivation; human and animal nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Margarida Costa

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Guest Editor

ALLMICROALGAE, Natural Products S.A. – Microalgae Industry Production, 2445 – 411 Pataias, Portugal
Interests: microalgae; microalgal biotechnology; marine science; natural products chemistry; bioactivities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, there has been increasing interest regarding the discovery of new and safe antioxidants from natural sources, such as plant material, to prevent the oxidative deterioration of food and minimize oxidative damage to living cells. Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms capable of rapidly generating biomass from solar energy, CO2, and nutrients. These organisms can be industrially cultivated in both closed (photobioreactors) and open (ponds and raceways) systems. The generated biomass can provide important primary metabolites, such as sugars, oils, and lipids, which can be channeled into processes toward the production of high-value products, including human and animal food supplements, transport fuels, industrial chemicals, cosmetics, and pharma- and nutraceuticals. Microalgae biomass and algae-derived compounds have a very wide range of potential applications, from animal feed and aquaculture to human nutrition and health products. Some microalgae are also considered to be a rich source of natural antioxidants.

Prof. Dr. Leonel Pereira
Dr. Joana Silva
Dr. Margarida Costa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

microalgae
algal biotechnology
industrial applications
photobioreactors
biomass
added-value products

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isolation, Identification and Biotechnological Applications of a Novel, Robust, Free-living Chlorococcum (Oophila) amblystomatis Strain Isolated from a Local Pond

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Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(9), 3040; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10093040 - 27 Apr 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4114

Abstract

Bioprospection of novel autochthonous strains is key to the successful industrial-scale production of microalgal biomass. A novel Chlorococcum strain was recently isolated from a pond inside the industrial production facility of Allmicroalgae (Leiria, Portugal). Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequences suggests that this isolate is a novel, free-living Oophila amblystomatis strain. However, as our phylogenetic data strongly suggests that the aforementioned taxon belongs to the genus Chlorococcum, it is here proposed to rename this species as Chlorococcum amblystomatis. In order to characterize the biotechnological potential of this novel isolate, growth performance and biochemical composition were evaluated from the pilot (2.5-m³) to industrial (10-m³) scale. The highest maximum areal productivity (36.56 g·m⁻²·day⁻¹) was reached in a 10-m³ tubular photobioreactor (PBR), as compared to that obtained in a 2.5-m³ PBR (26.75 g·m⁻²·day⁻¹). Chlorococcum amblystomatis displayed high protein content (48%–56% dry weight (DW)) and moderate levels of total lipids (18%–31% DW), carbohydrates (6%–18% DW) and ashes (9%–16% DW). Furthermore, the lipid profile was dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The highest pigment contents were obtained in the 2.5-m³ PBR, where total chlorophylls accounted for 40.24 mg·g⁻¹ DW, followed by lutein with 5.37 mg·g⁻¹ DW. Overall, this free-living Chlorococcum amblystomatis strain shows great potential for nutritional applications, coupling a promising growth performance with a high protein content as well as relevant amounts of PUFAs, chlorophyll, and carotenoids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Biotechnology of Microalgae)

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14 pages, 1374 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Lab-Scale Optimization of Aurantiochytrium sp. Culture Medium for Improved Growth and DHA Production

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Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(7), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072500 - 05 Apr 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2881

Abstract

Thraustochytrids have gained increasing relevance over the last decades, due to their fast growth and outstanding capacity to accumulate polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In this context, the present work aimed to optimize the growth performance and DHA yields by improving the culture medium of Aurantiochytrium sp. AF0043. Accordingly, two distinct culture media were optimized: (i) an inorganic optimized medium (IOM), containing only monosodium glutamate and glucose as nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively; and (ii) an organic and sustainable waste-based optimized medium (WOM), containing corn steep powder and glycerol, added in fed-batch mode, as nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively. Overall, the lab-scale optimization allowed to increase the biomass yield 1.5-fold and enhance DHA content 1.7-fold using IOM. Moreover, WOM enabled a 2-fold increase in biomass yield and a significant improvement in lipid contents, from 22.78% to 31.14%. However, DHA content was enhanced almost 3-fold, from an initial content of 10.12% to 29.66% of total fatty acids contained in the biomass. Therefore, these results strongly suggest, not only that the production pipeline was significantly improved but also confirmed the potential use of Aurantiochytrium sp. AF0043 as a source of DHA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Biotechnology of Microalgae)

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13 pages, 1022 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Development of an Organic Culture Medium for Autotrophic Production of Chlorella vulgaris Biomass

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Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2156; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062156 - 22 Mar 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2824

Abstract

Microalgal biomass has gained increasing attention in the last decade for various biotechnological applications, including human nutrition. Certified organic products are currently a growing niche market in which the food industry has shown great interest. In this context, this work aimed at developing a certified organic culture medium for the production of autotrophic Chlorella vulgaris biomass. A preliminary assay in 2 L bubble column photobioreactors was performed in order to screen different commercial organic substrates (OS) at a normalized concentration of N (2 mmol L⁻¹). The highest growth performance was obtained using EcoMix4 and Bioscape which showed similar biomass concentrations compared to the synthetic culture medium (control). In order to meet the nutrient needs of Chlorella, both OS underwent elemental analyses to assess their nutrient composition. The laboratory findings allowed the development of a final organic culture medium using a proportion of Bioscape/EcoMix4 (1:1.2, m/m). This organic culture medium was later validated outdoors in 125 L flat panel and 10 m³ tubular flow through photobioreactors. The results obtained revealed that the developed organic medium led to similar microalgal growth performance and biochemical composition of produced biomass, as compared to the traditional synthetic medium. Overall, the formulated organic medium was effective for the autotrophic production of organic C. vulgaris biomass. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Biotechnology of Microalgae)

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14 pages, 1655 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nannochloropsis oceanica Cultivation in Pilot-Scale Raceway Ponds—From Design to Cultivation

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Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(5), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10051725 - 03 Mar 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5223

Abstract

Raceways ponds are the microalgal production systems most commonly used at industrial scale. In this work, two different raceway configurations were tested under the same processing conditions to compare their performance on the production of Nannochloropsis oceanica. Biomass productivity, biochemical composition of the produced biomass, and power requirements to operate those reactors were evaluated. Water depths of 0.20 and 0.13 m, and culture circulation velocities of 0.30 and 0.15 m s⁻¹ were tested. A standard configuration, which had a full channel width paddlewheel, proved to be the most energy efficient, consuming less than half of the energy required by a modified configuration (had a half channel width paddlewheel). The later showed to have slightly higher productivity, not enough to offset the large difference in energetic consumption. Higher flow velocity (0.30 m s⁻¹) led to a 1.7 g m⁻² d⁻¹ improvement of biomass productivity of the system, but it increased the energy consumption twice as compared to the 0.15 m s⁻¹ flow velocity. The latter velocity showed to be the most productive in lipids. A water depth of 0.20 m was the most suitable option tested to cultivate microalgae, since it allowed a 54% energy saving. Therefore, a standard raceway pond using a flow velocity of 0.3 m s⁻¹ with a 0.20 m water depth was the most efficient system for microalgal cultivation. Conversely, a flow velocity of 0.15 m s⁻¹ was the most suitable to produce lipids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Biotechnology of Microalgae)

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16 pages, 1929 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Microalgae Water Bioremediation: Trends and Hot Topics

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Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(5), 1886; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10051886 - 10 Mar 2020

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 7907

Abstract

The need to reduce costs associated with the production of microalgae biomass has encouraged the coupling of process with wastewater treatment. Emerging pollutants in municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters, ranging from pharmaceuticals to metals, endanger public health and natural resources. The use of microalgae has, in fact, been shown to be an efficient method in water-treatment processes and presents several advantages, such as carbon sequestration, and an opportunity to develop innovative bioproducts with applications to several industries. Using a bibliometric analysis software, SciMAT, a mapping of the research field was performed, analyzing the articles produced between 1981 and 2018, aiming to identifying the hot topics and trends studied until now. The application of microalgae on water bioremediation is an evolving research field that currently focuses on developing efficient and cost-effective treatments methods that also enable the production of add-value products, leading to a blue and circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Biotechnology of Microalgae)

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