Algae Biotechnology for Biofuel Production and Bioremediation

Dear Colleagues,

To prevent global warming, the goal is to achieve a carbon-neutral and decarbonized society. In recent years, technologies that separate, collect and store CO₂ deep underground have been developed as CO₂ capture and storage (CCS) technologies. As the next step of CCS, in addition to storing CO₂ emitted from factories and other sources, CO₂ capture and utilization (CCU) technologies, which effectively utilize CO₂ in the manufacturing of products, are also in the process of research and development. The cycling of these technologies, i.e., carbon recycling, could be a simultaneous innovation to significantly reduce CO₂ and provide stable resources.

Micro- and macroalgae potentially have the ability to produce biofuels, food supplements, feed and fertilizer. These applications are directly or indirectly derived from photosynthesis, which utilizes CO₂. Therefore, algal biomass is a major player in carbon recycling. Considering CO₂ as the final waste product from various factories, direct or indirect product production using algal photosynthesis could contribute to the realization of zero emissions.

In addition to global warming, environmental pollution is a challenge that transcends national borders. In addition to microorganisms, algae have also been studied for bioremediation. Compared to microbial bioremediation, algal bioremediation is still in the research phase. However, from a long-term and sustainability perspective, photosynthetic organisms have the potential to outperform heterotrophic microbes. The further development of technological applications with algae is necessary to evaluate the potential of algal bioremediation.

This Special Issue will focus on algal applications, particularly those in the field of biofuels and environmental remediation technologies. Non-destructive techniques to assess algal quality, culture techniques to obtain sufficient quantities of algae, and collection techniques to recover algae or their products at low cost would also aid in achieving the above applications.

Reviews, original research and communications are welcome.

Dr. Toshiyuki Takahashi
Guest Editor

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• algae
• biofuels
• lipids
• bioremediation
• biostimulation
• bioaugmentation
• heavy metals
• water treatment
• biomass production
• harvesting