Microalgae for Bioremediation: Advances, Challenges, and Public Perception on Genetic Engineering

Overview

Journal BMC Plant Biol

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Dec 28

PMID 39731038

Authors

Victoria Calatrava

David Gonzalez-Ballester

David Gonzalez Ballester

Alexandra Dubini

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The increase in the global population and industrial activities has led to an extensive use of water, the release of wastewater, and overall contamination of the environment. To address these issues, efficient treatment methods have been developed to decrease wastewater nutrient content and contaminants. Microalgae are a promising tool as a sustainable alternative to traditional wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the biomass obtained from the wastewater treatment can be used in different applications, having a positive economic impact. This review describes the potential of microalgae as a biological wastewater remediation tool, including the use of genetically engineered strains. Their current industrial utilization and their untapped commercial potential in terms of bioremediation are also examined. Finally, this work discusses how microalgal biotechnology is perceived by the public and governments, analyses the potential risks of microalgae to the environment, and examines standard procedures that can be implemented for the safe biocontainment of large-scale microalgae cultures.

Citing Articles

Correction: Microalgae for bioremediation: advances, challenges, and public perception on genetic engineering.

Calatrava V, Gonzalez-Ballester D, Dubini A BMC Plant Biol. 2025; 25(1):261.

PMID: 40011793 PMC: 11866617. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-025-06277-4.

References

Guiry M . HOW MANY SPECIES OF ALGAE ARE THERE?. J Phycol. 2016; 48(5):1057-63. DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2012.01222.x. View

Ramaraj R, Tsai D, Chen P . Biomass of algae growth on natural water medium. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2014; 142:124-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.12.007. View

Olabi A, Shehata N, Sayed E, Rodriguez C, Anyanwu R, Russell C . Role of microalgae in achieving sustainable development goals and circular economy. Sci Total Environ. 2022; 854:158689. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158689. View

Krasaesueb N, Incharoensakdi A, Khetkorn W . Utilization of shrimp wastewater for poly-β-hydroxybutyrate production by sp. PCC 6803 strain ΔSphU cultivated in photobioreactor. Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2019; 23:e00345. PMC: 6529710. DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2019.e00345. View

Perez-Garcia O, Escalante F, de-Bashan L, Bashan Y . Heterotrophic cultures of microalgae: metabolism and potential products. Water Res. 2010; 45(1):11-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2010.08.037. View

Patel A, Choi Y, Sim S . Emerging prospects of mixotrophic microalgae: Way forward to sustainable bioprocess for environmental remediation and cost-effective biofuels. Bioresour Technol. 2020; 300:122741. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122741. View

Gonzalez-Morales S, Pacheco-Gutierrez N, Ramirez-Rodriguez C, Brito-Bello A, Estrella-Hernandez P, Herrera-Estrella L . Metabolic engineering of phosphite metabolism in PCC 7942 as an effective measure to control biological contaminants in outdoor raceway ponds. Biotechnol Biofuels. 2020; 13:119. PMC: 7346359. DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01759-z. View

Beuckels A, Smolders E, Muylaert K . Nitrogen availability influences phosphorus removal in microalgae-based wastewater treatment. Water Res. 2015; 77:98-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.03.018. View

Wang Y, Ho S, Cheng C, Guo W, Nagarajan D, Ren N . Perspectives on the feasibility of using microalgae for industrial wastewater treatment. Bioresour Technol. 2016; 222:485-497. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.106. View

Torres M, Gonzalez-Ballester D, Gomez-Osuna A, Galvan A, Fernandez E, Dubini A . Chlamydomonas-Methylobacterium oryzae cooperation leads to increased biomass, nitrogen removal and hydrogen production. Bioresour Technol. 2022; 352:127088. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127088. View

Salama E, Roh H, Dev S, Khan M, Abou-Shanab R, Chang S . Algae as a green technology for heavy metals removal from various wastewater. World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2019; 35(5):75. DOI: 10.1007/s11274-019-2648-3. View

Rahimi S, Modin O, Mijakovic I . Technologies for biological removal and recovery of nitrogen from wastewater. Biotechnol Adv. 2020; 43:107570. DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107570. View

Sanz-Luque E, Chamizo-Ampudia A, Llamas A, Galvan A, Fernandez E . Understanding nitrate assimilation and its regulation in microalgae. Front Plant Sci. 2015; 6:899. PMC: 4620153. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00899. View

10.

Saavedra R, Munoz R, Taboada M, Vega M, Bolado S . Comparative uptake study of arsenic, boron, copper, manganese and zinc from water by different green microalgae. Bioresour Technol. 2018; 263:49-57. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.04.101. View

11.

Mohsenpour S, Hennige S, Willoughby N, Adeloye A, Gutierrez T . Integrating micro-algae into wastewater treatment: A review. Sci Total Environ. 2020; 752:142168. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142168. View

12.

Grama S, Liu Z, Li J . Emerging Trends in Genetic Engineering of Microalgae for Commercial Applications. Mar Drugs. 2022; 20(5). PMC: 9143385. DOI: 10.3390/md20050285. View

12.

Munoz R, Guieysse B . Algal-bacterial processes for the treatment of hazardous contaminants: a review. Water Res. 2006; 40(15):2799-815. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2006.06.011. View

13.

Subashchandrabose S, Ramakrishnan B, Megharaj M, Venkateswarlu K, Naidu R . Consortia of cyanobacteria/microalgae and bacteria: biotechnological potential. Biotechnol Adv. 2011; 29(6):896-907. DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.07.009. View

14.

Manoylov K . Taxonomic identification of algae (morphological and molecular): species concepts, methodologies, and their implications for ecological bioassessment. J Phycol. 2016; 50(3):409-24. DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12183. View

15.

Abdel-Raouf N, Al-Homaidan A, Ibraheem I . Microalgae and wastewater treatment. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2014; 19(3):257-75. PMC: 4052567. DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2012.04.005. View