Microalgal biorefineries in sustainable biofuel production and other high-value products.
Swapnamoy Dutta, Sampriti Kataki, Ishita Banerjee, Cheryl Bernice Pohrmen, Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Amit K Jaiswal
Author Information
Swapnamoy Dutta: Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Sampriti Kataki: Biodegradation Technology Division, Defence Research Laboratory, DRDO, Tezpur, Assam 784001, India.
Ishita Banerjee: Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Cheryl Bernice Pohrmen: Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Department of Green Energy Technology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India.
Krishna Kumar Jaiswal: Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Department of Green Energy Technology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India. Electronic address: kkjindia@gmail.com.
Amit K Jaiswal: Centre for Sustainable Packaging and Bioproducts (CSPB), School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Faculty of Sciences and Health, Technological University Dublin - City Campus, Central Quad, Grangegorman, Dublin D07 ADY7, Ireland. Electronic address: amit.jaiswal@TUDublin.ie.
Microalgae has been emerging as a promising solution against the backdrop of the global need for sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives. This review article analyses the use of photosynthetic microalgae as an important resource for sustainable biofuel and high value bioproduct production, emphasizing the potential of self-sustaining microalgae biorefineries. A closed-loop, integrated multi-product producing microalgal biorefinery approach could significantly reduce the indicated negative environmental and energy impact from standalone microalgal biofuel generation. The economic feasibility of these biorefineries is linked to their recovery rate, improved by integrating various unit operations as well as multiple product dimensions under optimal conditions, enhancing resource recovery, process efficiency, and profitability. This approach ensures profitability and ubiquitous implementation of microalgal biorefineries, offering a sustainable solution to market demands. In conclusion, making microalgae biorefineries a major player in sustainable bioeconomy underscores the necessity of interdisciplinary research to surmount current challenges and completely realize their advantages.
