Marine and freshwaterNannochloropsisfor the bioremediation of brewery wastewater, CO2capture, and CO-production of omega-3 lipids
Algal Research, 2025
This study explores Nannochloropsis for brewery wastewater (BWW) bioremediation, highlighting mixotrophic maltose assimilation and hyposaline adaptation. N. oceanica, N. gaditana, and N. limnetica grew successfully in filtered, undiluted BWW without salinity, nutrient, or pH adjustments, achieving a competitive final biomass concentrations (0.95 ± 0.03–1.04 ± 0.02 g L−1) to T. obliquus and C. vulgaris and complete removal of phosphate, nitrate, and ammonium (95–100 %). (opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nannochloropsisfor the bioremediation of brewery side streams and co-production of aquaculture feed and bio-Fertiliser: A comprehensive review
Algal Research, 2025
The brewing industry produces a large amount nutrient-rich wastewater. This review proposes a framework that harnesses autotrophic microalgae to establish a circular brewing industry. The study focuses on Nannochloropsis due to their high omega-3 polyunsaturated lipids and protein content, enabling the upcycling of brewery wastewater into aquaculture feed and biofertiliser. In the proposed system, Nannochloropsis is cultivated on brewery wastewater ..(opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is ‘waste’ an appropriate concept in a sustainable bioeconomy?
Sustainable Chemistry One World, 2025
Valorisation of agri-food waste is an essential aspect of creating sustainable circular food systems. The European Research Area Network Cofund Food Systems and Climate (FOSC) and the SUSFOOD2 ERA-Net Cofund supported eight projects focusing on the valorisation of waste generated during primary production or food processing. The projects identified barriers related to the technological, socio-economic, legislative, and institutional challenges of developing a circular food system, and concluded that overcoming these barriers and promoting a circular bioeconomy requires a comprehensive approach involving ...(opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Axenisation of oleaginous microalgal cultures via anoxic photosensitisation
Algal Research, 2025
Growing interest in sustainable food and biofuel research has necessitated high quality axenic oleaginous microalgal strains. Unfortunately, most strains available in culture banks contain commensal microbes such as bacteria and the default decontamination method involves antibiotic treatment which has begun to exacerbate the emergence of antibiotic resistance. To overcome this problem, anoxic photosensitisation was investigated as an alternate approach. (opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cell Walls of Lipid-Rich Microalgae: A Comprehensive Review on Characterisation, Ultrastructure, and Enzymatic Disruption
Fermentation, 2024
Certain microalgae species have gained traction in the biofuel and food/feed sectors due to their ability to accumulate large amounts of intracellular lipids. However, the extraction of lipids from microalgae is hindered by the presence of complex and recalcitrant cell walls that act as a barrier to mass transfer. This paper examines the intricate details of microalgae cell walls of species belonging to three genera—Nannochloropsis, Scenedesmus, and Schizochytrium—known for their high total lipid contents and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid contents, thus having dual potential for both biofuel and food/feed application. An overview of the techniques used to analyse ....(opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freshwater microalgaeNannochloropsis limneticafor the production of β-galactosidase from whey powder
Scientific Reports, 2024
This study investigated the first-ever reported use of freshwater Nannochloropsis for the bioremediation of dairy processing side streams and co-generation of valuable products, such as β-galactosidase enzyme. In this study, N. limnetica was found to grow rapidly on both autoclaved and non-autoclaved whey-powder media (referred to dairy processing by-product or DPBP) without the need of salinity adjustment or nutrient additions, achieving a biomass concentration of 1.05–1.36 g L−1 after 8 days. The species secreted extracellular β-galactosidase (up to 40.84 ± 0.23 U L−1) in order to hydrolyse lactose in DPBP media ...(opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Growth and fatty acid profile ofNannochloropsis oceanicacultivated on nano-filtered whey permeate
Journal of Applied Phycology, 2024
Nano-filtered whey permeate (WP), a major by-product of dairy industry, is produced by membrane filtration of whey. The oleaginous microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica was successfully cultivated on WP without salinity and nutrient amendments. Growth, cell characteristics, and fatty acid profile of the cultures were analyzed using microscopy, flow cytometry, and GC analysis. WP was nitrogen limited, comprising primarily protein as a nitrogen source and only small amounts of free inorganic nitrogen (in the form of nitrate). Nannochloropsis oceanica (and associated bacteria) efficiently removed nitrate (100%), protein (87%), and phosphate (74%) from the whey permeate. (opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mechanism of lactose assimilation in microalgae for the bioremediation of dairy processing side-streams and co-production of valuable food products
Journal of Applied Phycology, 2023
This study investigated the mechanism of lactose assimilation in Nannochloropsis oceanica for dairy-wastewater bioremediation and co-production of valuable feed/food ingredients in a circular dairy system (β-galactosidase and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids). Mixotrophic cultivation was found to be mandatory for lactose assimilation in N. oceanica, with biomass production in mixotrophic cultures reaching a fourfold increase over that under heterotrophic conditions. Under mixotrophic conditions, the microalgae were able to produce β-galactosidase enzyme to hydrolyse lactose ...(opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nitrogen and phosphate removal from dairy processing side-streams by monocultures or consortium of microalgae
Journal of Biotechnology, 2023
Acid-casein production generates waste streams that are rich in nitrogen (in the form of protein and nitrate) and phosphate. This makes this type of waste very difficult to treat using conventional techniques resulting in a high amount of operating cost and costly investment. In this research, the application of single culture or consortium of microalgae for uptake of nitrogen and phosphate in the wastewater of an acid-casein factory was investigated... (opens in a new window)Read more
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chromatographic Techniques to Separate and Identify Bioactive Compounds in Microalgae
Frontiers in Energy Research, 2022
Microalgae are potential sources for the sustainable production of valuable chemicals including polyphenols, pigments, and ω-3 PUFAs. However, successful exploitation of these high value compounds in the food, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors depends greatly on their effective separation, identification, and analysis after recovery from the biomass. The findings of this review paper illustrated that chromatographic methods coupled to different types of detectors have been used as a crucial part of research on microalgal polyphenols, Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (ω-3 PUFAs), and pigments production... (opens in a new window)Read more
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The effect of cell disruption on the extraction of oil and protein from concentrated microalgae slurries
Bioresource Technology, 2022
Novel cell-disruption combinations (autolytic incubation and hypotonic osmotic shock combined with HPH or pH12) were used to investigate the fundamental mass transfer of lipids and proteins from Nannochloropsis slurries... (opens in a new window)Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cultivation of Algae and Its Biorefinery Approach
Handbook of Research on Algae as a Sustainable Solution for Food, Energy, and the Environment, 2022
During the past decades, algae have attracted worldwide attention as a sustainable bioresource to produce various biochemicals and biofuels. However, the prohibitive cost of algal biomass production and processing casts doubt on the industrial applications of algae. Hence, many efforts have been made to enhance the viability of these species. One serious challenge is maximizing algal biomass production. Since algal growth is strain-specific... (opens in a new window)Read more
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unit operations applied to cell disruption of microalgae
3rd Generation Biofuels, 2022
Microalgae have been widely exploited as a sustainable feedstock of valuable bioactives for the biofuel, pharmaceuticals, and food industries. Most of these high-value components, however, are trapped inside thick and resistant cell walls. Technologies for cell wall disruption therefore need to be investigated, serving as a key step to facilitate the recoveries of target products for industrial manufacture. This chapter will review the operating principles of standard technologies used for microalgae cell disruption... (opens in a new window)Read more
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hypotonic osmotic shock treatment to enhance lipid and protein recoveries from concentrated saltwater Nannochloropsis slurries
Fuel, 2021
This study reports the use of hypotonic osmotic shock as a treatment step to enhance the recoveries of biofuel-convertible lipids and proteins from lipid-rich saltwater Nannochloropsis gaditana (N. gaditana) slurries... (opens in a new window)Read more