Optimization of cultural conditions for marine microbial biosurfactant production: Future prospects from untapped marine resources

Abstract

Marine microbial biosurfactants are of great importance attributable to their structural and functional diversity and industrial applications. Despite huge number of reports describing biosurfactant (BS)/bioemulsifier (BE) applications and advantages, commercialization of these compounds remains complicated and costly. This is mainly due to the usage of chemically synthesized media for growth of microorganism resulting in huge monetary difference between the investment and achievable productivity from the commercial point of view. Although numerous developments have been taken place in the industrial biosurfactant sectors, unfortunately, large-scale production remains economically challenging for many of such molecules. Therefore, the knowledge on the genetic regulatory mechanisms and statistical and genetic algorithms would help to develop an optimized biosurfactant production method with better product characteristics and acquired capability of utilizing cheap agro-industrial wastes as substrates. This review provides an overview of traditional biosurfactant production methods, statistical optimization techniques, recent biotechnological advances, the role and importance of molecular genetics, metagenomics, and gene regulation mechanisms involved in biosynthesis of various marine microbial surfactants of commercial importance.