Engineering Microalgal Systems for a Greener Future

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 849

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: microalgal compound accumulation; stress effect; cultivation optimisation; environmental engineering; process modeling; sustainability
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Guest Editor
Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Natural Resource Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
Interests: bioprocess development; metabolic and genetic engineering; biomass pretreatment; oleaginous microorganisms; nutraceuticals and value-added products from microalgae; renewable energy; biomass production; biofuels; waste valorization; wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of microalgal systems has emerged as a transformative approach to address global environmental challenges and promote sustainable bioengineering solutions. Advances in microalgal bioengineering encompass the optimisation of cultivation techniques and process innovations aimed at enhancing productivity, resource efficiency, and the accumulation of high-value compounds. These efforts are crucial for multiple applications, such as biofuels, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food additives and carbon capture technologies.

This Special Issue on “Engineering Microalgal Systems for a Greener Future” invites original research and comprehensive reviews that highlight the latest advancements in microalgal bioengineering. Contributions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative bioprocessing strategies for microalgal cultivation and harvesting;
  • Application of artificial intelligence and machine learning for process optimisation;
  • Development of photobioreactors and their scale-up for industrial applications;
  • Microalgal contributions to the circular economy and carbon neutrality;
  • Synergistic interactions between microalgal systems and renewable energy technologies.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on how cutting-edge engineering and scientific methodologies can unlock the potential of microalgae, paving the way for a sustainable and greener future.

Dr. Ana F. Esteves
Dr. Alok Kumar Patel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • artificial intelligence
  • machine learning
  • bioprocessing
  • circular bioeconomy
  • production value addition
  • biomass valorization
  • microalgal cultivation systems
  • sustainable bioprocessing

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 4210 KiB  
Article
Comparing Growth Models Dependent on Irradiation and Nutrient Consumption on Closed Outdoor Cultivations of Nannochloropsis sp.
by Tiago Taborda, José C. M. Pires, Sara M. Badenes and Francisco Lemos
Bioengineering 2025, 12(3), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12030272 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 683
Abstract
Microalgae offer tremendous industrial possibilities for their ability to grow rapidly and capture CO2 from the atmosphere. The literature contains many models for predicting microalgae growth in lab-scale reactors. However, there exists a gap in the application of these models in outdoor [...] Read more.
Microalgae offer tremendous industrial possibilities for their ability to grow rapidly and capture CO2 from the atmosphere. The literature contains many models for predicting microalgae growth in lab-scale reactors. However, there exists a gap in the application of these models in outdoor pilot-scale closed photobioreactors. This work proposes a methodology for constructing models for this type of reactor. These models were constructed based on the existing literature, then trained and tested using a dataset of ten cultivations of Nannochloropsis sp. Four models were tested: a model based on a Monod-like equation (Model M); a model based on a Haldane-like equation (Model H); a model based on an exponential equation (Model E); and a model considering both irradiation and the effect of nitrate on the culture using the Droop model (Model D). Model H had the best overall performance, with a global root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.296 kg1/2 m−3/2; Model M and Model E had RMSE values of 0.309 and 0.302, respectively. Model D performed the worst, with an RMSE of 0.413. Future work should involve applying the same methodology to new cultivations of the same or different species and testing more complex models capable of better explaining the data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering Microalgal Systems for a Greener Future)
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