Terrestrial Microalgae: Novel Concepts for Biotechnology and Applications

Abstract

In the emerging field of algal biotechnology, optimization of algal production, engineering challenges, and scale-up of photobioreactors are urgent demands. Emphasis is placed on reducing cultivation limitations regarding, e.g., mass transfer, thermostability, photoinhibition, as well as expenses for energy and resource investments. Until now, almost all cultivation techniques are processed under submerged conditions with aquatic microalgae. The biotechnological implementation of terrestrial microalgae, however, exhibits several physiological and technological advantages for an efficient production in biofilm photobioreactors. Their outstanding performance and considerable advantages for biotechnology may reduce several of the current limitations and provide new principles in bioengineering. Can they outcompete the capacity of commercial algal strain due to their thermostability, light utilization, or desiccation tolerance? How terrestrial microalgae could highly contribute to technological and economic improvement of microalgal biotechnology is discussed reviewing their species diversity, physiology, valuable products, bioengineering processes, biofilm photobioreactors, and some visions of potential developments. Moreover, the overview may allow choosing interesting organisms for further studies.