Molecular design of microalgae as sustainable cell factories

Alexander Einhaus; Thomas Baier; Olaf Kruse

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.11.010

Molecular design of microalgae as sustainable cell factories

Trends Biotechnol. 2023 Dec 12:S0167-7799(23)00332-3. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.11.010. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Alexander Einhaus¹, Thomas Baier¹, Olaf Kruse²

Affiliations

¹ Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
² Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. Electronic address: olaf.kruse@uni-bielefeld.de.

PMID: 38092627
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.11.010

Abstract

Microalgae are regarded as sustainable and potent chassis for biotechnology. Their capacity for efficient photosynthesis fuels dynamic growth independent from organic carbon sources and converts atmospheric CO₂ directly into various valuable hydrocarbon-based metabolites. However, approaches to gene expression and metabolic regulation have been inferior to those in more established heterotrophs (e.g., prokaryotes or yeast) since the genetic tools and insights in expression regulation have been distinctly less advanced. In recent years, however, these tools and their efficiency have dramatically improved. Various examples have demonstrated new trends in microalgal biotechnology and the potential of microalgae for the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy.

Keywords: bioproduction; genome engineering; metabolic engineering; microalgae.

Publication types

Review