Innovative Biotechnological Applications of Galdieria Sulphuraria-Red Microalgae (GS-RMA) in Water Treatment Systems

Abstract

In this study, mini review is introduced on the features of the red microalgae (RMA) and its biotechnological potential in different applications. Since it has unique extremophilic features, Galdieria Sulphuraria (GS) is considered to be a perfect microorganism candidate for various biotechnological applications in water treatment systems. Special interest has been oriented towards the applications of GS in water treatment systems, such as nutrients, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and heavy metals (HMs) removal from wastewater. Also, different future prospects have been suggested in terms of the new and innovative applications of GS in water treatment based on the gaps in the literature, including phycoremediation of HMs, bio-resin production, bio-substrate for nanoparticles, and pharmaceuticals removal from wastewater. Finally, the challenges and limitations of employing GS in biotechnological applications have been reviewed, which revealed that using GS has a great potential in largescale outdoor cultivation without becoming contaminated with other microorganisms.