Nannochloropsis microalgaeCollection of microalgae cultures in CSIRO's lab
Microalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column and sediment.[1] They are unicellular species which exist individually, or in chains or groups. Depending on the species, their sizes can range from a few micrometers (μm) to a few hundred micrometers. Unlike higher plants, microalgae do not have roots, stems, or leaves. They are specially adapted to an environment dominated by viscous forces.
Microalgae, capable of performing photosynthesis, are important for life on earth; they produce approximately half of the atmospheric oxygen[2] and use the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to grow photoautotrophically. "Marine photosynthesis is dominated by microalgae, which together with cyanobacteria, are collectively called phytoplankton."[3] Microalgae, together with bacteria, form the base of the food web and provide energy for all the trophic levels above them. Microalgae biomass is often measured with chlorophyll a concentrations and can provide a useful index of potential production.[4][5]
The biodiversity of microalgae is enormous and they represent an almost untapped resource. It has been estimated that about 200,000-800,000 species in many different genera exist of which about 50,000 species are described.[6] Over 15,000 novel compounds originating from algal biomass have been chemically determined.[7] Examples include carotenoids, antioxidants, fatty acids, enzymes, polymers, peptides, toxins and sterols.[8] Besides providing these valuable metabolites, microalgae is regarded as a potential feedstock for biofuels and has also emerged as a promising microorganism in bioremediation.[9]
An exception to the microalgae family is the colorless Prototheca which are devoid of any chlorophyll. These achlorophic algae switch to parasitism and thus cause the disease protothecosis in human and animals.
^Cite error: The named reference Thurman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Williams, Robyn (25 October 2013). "Microscopic algae produce half the oxygen we breathe". The Science Show. ABC. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
^Parker, Micaela S.; Mock, Thomas; Armbrust, E. Virginia (2008). "Genomic Insights into Marine Microalgae". Annual Review of Genetics. 42: 619–645. doi:10.1146/annurev.genet.42.110807.091417. PMID 18983264.
^Thrush, Simon; Hewitt, Judi; Gibbs, Max; Lundquist, Caralyn; Norkko, Alf (2006). "Functional Role of Large Organisms in Intertidal Communities: Community Effects and Ecosystem Function". Ecosystems. 9 (6): 1029–1040. doi:10.1007/s10021-005-0068-8. S2CID 23502276.
^Sun, Ning; Skaggs, Richard L.; Wigmosta, Mark S.; Coleman, André M.; Huesemann, Michael H.; Edmundson, Scott J. (July 2020). "Growth modeling to evaluate alternative cultivation strategies to enhance national microalgal biomass production". Algal Research. 49: 101939. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2020.101939. ISSN 2211-9264. S2CID 219431866.
^Starckx, Senne (31 October 2012) A place in the sun - Algae is the crop of the future, according to researchers in Geel Flanders Today, Retrieved 8 December 2012
^Cite error: The named reference Cardozo2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Ratha SK, Prasanna R (February 2012). "Bioprospecting microalgae as potential sources of "Green Energy"—challenges and perspectives". Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology. 48 (2): 109–125. doi:10.1134/S000368381202010X. PMID 22586907. S2CID 18430041.
^Yuvraj (2022). "Microalgal Bioremediation: A Clean and Sustainable Approach for Controlling Environmental Pollution". Innovations in Environmental Biotechnology. Vol. 1. Singapore: Springer Singapore. pp. 305–318. doi:10.1007/978-981-16-4445-0_13. ISBN 978-981-16-4445-0.
Microalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living...
Microalgae or microscopic algae grow in either marine or freshwater systems. They are primary producers in the oceans that convert water and carbon dioxide...
The bioreactor has to be made out of transparent material. The first microalgae cultivation was of the unicellular Chlorella vulgaris by Dutch microbiologist...
reference] In 1942 Harder and Von Witsch were the first to propose that microalgae be grown as a source of lipids for food or fuel. Following World War II...
swine manure is capable of improving the growth medium performance of microalgae cultivations in terms of final biomass productivity, showing that algal...
of algae that are intentionally cultivated fall into the category of microalgae (also referred to as phytoplankton, microphytes, or planktonic algae)...
from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular microalgae, such as Chlorella, Prototheca and the diatoms, to multicellular forms...
utilization, research suggests that those involving chemicals, fuels and microalgae have limited potential for CO2 removal, while those that involve construction...
The SERI microalgae culture collection was a collection from the Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program cataloged at the Solar Energy Research...
photobioreactors, air is sucked through a pressure pump and fed to the microalgae, with oxygen being released as a byproduct. Additionally, the Liquid 3...
consists of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled microalgae. It is used as a filtration aid, mild abrasive in products including metal...
conifers; those in the Chironomidae family are still active at −16 °C. Microalgae that live in snow and ice include green, brown, and red algae. Snow algae...
by looking at the consumption of hydrocarbon gases in a culture cell. Microalgae have gained attention in recent years due to several reasons including...
plants. Marine algae includes the largely invisible and often unicellular microalgae, which together with cyanobacteria form the ocean phytoplankton, as well...
players in the Earth's carbon cycle. "Marine photosynthesis is dominated by microalgae, which together with cyanobacteria, are collectively called phytoplankton...
pathway for taurine biosynthesis from serine and sulfate is reported in microalgae, developing chicken embryos, and chick liver. Serine dehydratase converts...
Crypthecodinium cohnii is a species of dinoflagellate microalgae. It is used industrially in the production of docosahexaenoic acid. Crypthecodinium cohnii...
non-animal sources (e.g., commercially, from Yarrowia lipolytica, and from microalgae such as Nannochloropsis oculata, Monodus subterraneus, Chlorella minutissima...
particles can also be used for cardiac tissue. There are biocompatible microalgae hybrid microrobots for active drug-delivery in the lungs and the gastrointestinal...
Vietnam is also home to 1,438 species of freshwater microalgae, constituting 9.6% of all microalgae species, as well as 794 aquatic invertebrates and 2...
component of the lipids (up to 70% by weight) in some species such as microalgae but in some other organisms are not found in their standalone form, but...
Stramenopiles (heterokonts), a group which also contains kelp and various microalgae. Several stages occur in its lifecycle. The feeding form has a stiff,...
over 20 years. Scallops are known to be infected by viruses, bacteria, microalgae of the heterokonts and dinoflagellates. : 71 Some scallops, including...
Global Information
