AFOB Newsletter

Warm Greetings, AFOB Community
Algae Biotechnology; emerging trends, outstanding questions, and prospects

Introduction
The biotechnological potential of algae is vast and diverse, offering a wide array of applications across various fields. Algae are known for their high lipid content, which can be converted into biofuels such as biodiesel. Certain species of algae, such as Spirulina and Chlorella, are rich sources of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. These algae are utilized as nutritional supplements in the form of tablets, powders, or extracts, providing valuable nutrients to human and animal diets. Algae can absorb and metabolize pollutants from water and can fix atmospheric carbon at substantial higher rates, making them valuable agents for environmental remediation. Algae biomass can accumulate a diverse range of bioactive compounds with potential pharmaceutical applications. These include antimicrobial agents, anticancer compounds, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory substances. Algal-derived compounds have also shown promising impact in wound healing, drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, cosmetics, skincare formulations, hair care products, sunscreens, spa treatments, food additives, colorants, thickeners, and flavor enhancers. Selected algae species serve as a sustainable source of feed for aquaculture species such as fish, shrimp, and mollusks and can be incorporated into aquafeed formulations to enhance growth, nutrition, and immune function in farmed animals. Some species of algae have symbiotic relationships with plants, promoting growth and nutrient uptake, for which they can be used as biofertilizers and soil amendments to improve soil fertility, enhance crop yields, and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Overall, the biotechnological potential of algae is vast and continually expanding, with ongoing research and innovation driving the development of new applications and products derived from these versatile organisms.

Emerging trends in Algae Biotechnology

Due to their substantial potential, diverse applications, and unique metabolic activities, algae biotechnology has garnered significant interest across various fields. Recently, there has been a surge in research focusing on harnessing algae's capabilities for carbon capture and storage, as well as converting atmospheric carbon into algal biomass for subsequent transformation into green bioproducts. Additionally, algae species are being evaluated for their suitability in cultivation within microgravity and artificial gravity environments, aiming to recycle water and carbon dioxide in spaceships to sustain astronauts with food and oxygen.

Algae biotechnology also holds promise for wastewater recycling and resource recovery in urban settings, as well as for reclaiming non-arable lands through induced biocrust formation and artificial succession processes. Furthermore, algae are being explored to produce biopolymers, biomaterials for 3D printing, and a wide range of low-carbon, carbon-neutral, and/or carbon-negative bioprocesses and bioproducts within the framework of a circular bioeconomy paradigm.

These advancements underscore the versatile and sustainable nature of algae biotechnology, offering solutions to pressing environmental challenges while contributing to the development of innovative and eco-friendly technologies across various sectors.

Outstanding questions and prospects

Below are several outstanding questions and prospects that must be addressed in the future to fully capitalize on the promising potential of algae, considering assertions made by the global scientific community.

• How will the enormous quantities of algae biomass required for producing biofuels, biofertilizers, biopolymers, and animal feed be generated, and who will undertake this task?
• What are the potential environmental ramifications of implementing large-scale algae production systems worldwide?
• Do existing industrial infrastructures support the extensive production and processing of algae biomass, from farm to market?
• Are there established regulations governing the production and processing of algal biomass, ensuring accountability from producers to end consumers?
• With algae touted for their capacity to sequester atmospheric carbon, can we utilize them to meet global carbon capture objectives through large-scale cultivation? If so, what scale of cultivation would be required, and what size of cultivation systems would be necessary to achieve this goal?

Further recommended readings

• MA Mehmood*, M Amin, MN Haider, S Malik, HA Malik, MA Alam, J Xu, AH Alessa, AZ Khan, R Boopathy. Wastewater-grown algal biomass as carbon-neutral, renewable, and low water footprint feedstock for clean energy and bioplastics. Current Pollution Reports. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40726-024-00294-x
• El-Seedi HR, MF El-Mallah, N Yosri, M Alajlani, C Zhao, MA Mehmood, M Du, H Ullah, M Daglia, Z Guo, SAM Khalifa, Q Shou. Review of Marine Cyanobacteria and the Aspects Related to Their Roles: Chemical, Biological Properties, Nitrogen Fixation and Climate Change. Marine Drugs. 2023. 21:439
• 1. Usman M, M Amin, I Kamal, A Shahid, J Xu, MA Alam, MA Mehmood*, GA Ashraf, R Boopathy. Algae-mediated resource recovery from urban wastewater. Current Pollution Reports. 2023, 9:243-258
• Haider MN, AZ Khan, M Usman, D Balakrishnan, MR Javed, S Malik, CG Liu, MA Mehmood*, GA Ashraf. Impact of seasons and wastewater cultivation on the biomass and biodiesel production by the Plectonema terebrans BERC10 as a candidate of a multiproduct algal biorefinery. Fuel. 2023; 332: 125987
• Haider MN, C-G Liu, T. A. Tabish, D. Balakrishnan, P-L Show, S. Y. A. Qattan, M. Gull, MA Mehmood*. Resource recovery of the wastewater-derived nutrients into algal biomass followed by its cascading processing to multiple products in a circular bioeconomy paradigm. Fermentation. 2022; 8: 650
• 1. Khan AZ, S Malik, MA Mehmood, A Shahid, XQ Zhao, T Shahzad, FW Bai, CG Liu. A novel two-stage algal cultivation strategy for the sequential removal of primary sludge and pollutants from urban wastewater followed by the complete valorization of biomass to multiple bioproducts in a circular bioeconomy paradigm. Energy Conversion and Management. 2022; 273: 116400
• 1. Malik S, MUF Ashraf, A Shahid, MR Javed, AZ Khan, M Usman, A Manivannan, MA Mehmood*, GA Ashraf. Characterization of a newly isolated self-flocculating microalga Bracteacoccus pseudominor BERC09 and its evaluation as a candidate of a multiproduct algal biorefinery. Chemosphere. 2022: 304; 135346
• 1. Malik S, A Shahid, MN Haider, M Amin, MJ Betenbaugh, MA Mehmood*, MA Ul Haq, A Syafiuddin, R Boopathy. Prospects of multiproduct algal biorefineries involving cascading processing of the biomass employing a zero-waste approach. Current Pollution Reports. 2022: 8; 147-158
• 1. Malik S, A Shahid, MJ Betenbaugh, CG Liu, MA Mehmood*. A wastewater-derived novel cascading algal biorefinery for complete valorization of the biomass to biodiesel and value-added bioproducts. Energy Conversion and Management. 2022. 256:115360
• 1. Khan F, A Shahid, H Zhu, N Wang, MR Javed, N Ahmad, X Jianren, MA Alam, MA Mehmood*. Prospects of algae-based green synthesis of nanoparticles for environmental applications. Chemosphere. 2022, 293:133571

About the author

The author is Professor of Biotechnology and lead PI of BioEcoTech Research Cluster at Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan. His research focuses on optimizing processes to sustainably utilize bio-resources, recycling wastewater, recovering resources, and transforming biomass into bioproducts such as biofertilizers, industrial enzymes, and biopolymers. This involves harnessing microalgae, cyanobacteria, and fungi as microbial cell factories within a multiproduct biorefinery framework. My goal is to pioneer low-carbon or carbon-neutral bioprocesses that benefit agriculture and the bioindustry, ensuring the sustainability of the Energy-Water-Environment-Food nexus. He has successfully concluded numerous research projects funded by various prestigious organizations and has authored 100+ research and review articles in internationally reputed journals. Prof. Mehmood has diverse professional collaborations with national and international academic and industrial organizations. He also serves as Editor and Member of the Editorial Board in several reputed journals. He warmly welcomes national and international collaboration for impactful research efforts to harness the biotechnological potential of algae for industrial and environmental applications.

https://www.a-star.edu.sg/bti/research/cell-line-development/microbial-cell-bioprocessing

My name is Prashant Mainali, a microbial scientist at Bioprocessing Technological Institute (BTI), A*STAR, Singapore. Currently, I am working on the valorization of spent animal cell culture media with my principal investigator Dr Dave Ow to cultivate Lactococcus lactis for the production of FGF-2, an important and expensive component for serum free animal cell culture media. lected local fruits as a substrate. This brief research stint not only bolstered my confidence but also ignited my passion for a career in research.