Systems biology's role in leveraging microalgal biomass potential: Current status and future perspectives
Emanuel Cunha, Vítor Sousa, Pedro Geada, J. A. Teixeira, António A. Vicente, Óscar Dias
Abstract
Microalgae are an eco-friendly and alternative source of several compounds that can be applied in numerous biotechnological branches such as cosmetics, food, or pharmaceutical industries. However, the commercialization of products from microalgae has still some drawbacks, among which it is possible to highlight the low biomass and compounds' productivities at industrial level. The common strategies to improve the process cost-effectiveness of microalgae cultivation are essentially based on optimising nutrient needs and several environmental factors (e.g., temperature, light intensity, salinity) that impact both their growth and biochemical composition. In this regard, genome-scale metabolic (GSM) models allow understanding the metabolic processes that lead to a final phenotype since they contain all known pathways, reactions, and metabolites of the organism, based on genomic information, available literature, and experimental data. This review provides an overview of the most important factors that need to be considered in microalgae cultivation, providing strategies to improve process cost-effectiveness. Particular emphasis will be given to the in silico-guided optimization as a real alternative, using GSM models to enhance the production of defined compounds and biomass.