Genetic engineering of microalgae for enhanced biorefinery capabilities

Mehmooda Fayyaz; Kit Wayne Chew; Pau Loke Show; Tau Chuan Ling; I-Son Ng; Jo-Shu Chang

doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107554

Genetic engineering of microalgae for enhanced biorefinery capabilities

Biotechnol Adv. 2020 Nov 1:43:107554. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107554. Epub 2020 May 11.

Authors

Mehmooda Fayyaz¹, Kit Wayne Chew², Pau Loke Show³, Tau Chuan Ling⁴, I-Son Ng⁵, Jo-Shu Chang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
² School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, 43900 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia.
³ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: PauLoke.Show@nottingham.edu.my.
⁴ Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan. Electronic address: changjs@mail.ncku.edu.tw.

PMID: 32437732
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107554

Abstract

Microalgae-based bioproducts are in limelight because of their promising future, novel characteristics, the current situation of population needs, and rising prices of rapidly depleting energy resources. Algae-based products are considered as clean sustainable energy and food resources. At present, they are not commercialized due to their high production cost and low yield. In recent years, novel genome editing tools like RNAi, ZNFs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9 are used to enhance the quality and quantity of the desired products. Genetic and metabolic engineering are frequently applied because of their rapid and precise results than random mutagenesis. Omic approaches help enhance biorefinery capabilities and are now in the developing stage for algae. The future is very bright for transgenic algae with increased biomass yield, carbon dioxide uptake rate, accumulating high-value compounds, reduction in cultivation, and production costs, thus reaching the goal in the global algal market and capital flow. However, microalgae are primary producers and any harmful exposure to the wild strains can affect the entire ecosystem. Therefore, strict regulation and monitoring are required to assess the potential risks before introducing genetically modified microalgae into the natural ecosystem.

Keywords: Algomics; Enhanced biomass potential; Genome editing tools; Risk assessment; Transgenic algae.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biofuels
Biomass
Ecosystem
Gene Editing
Genetic Engineering
Microalgae* / genetics

Substances

Biofuels