Bioengineering Approaches to Microalgae-Based Systems

Dear Colleagues,

What begins as a microscopic cell may evolve into systems that serve the societal needs of a sustainability-driven future. Microalgae are increasingly recognized as versatile biological platforms for addressing pressing technological, environmental, and industrial challenges. However, translating their cellular potential into reliable, scalable, and application-ready technologies requires more than biological discovery alone; it calls for bioengineering approaches that bridge the path from cells to systems, enabling biological function to be systematically translated into engineered performance with translational relevance.

This transition toward system-level implementation remains a defining challenge for microalgae-based technologies. When surpassing proof of concept, biological performance must be reconciled with engineering constraints related to process design, transport phenomena, monitoring, and scalability. Addressing this gap requires a bioengineering perspective that integrates cellular function with system architecture, enabling the rational design of microalgae-based products and processes across multiple scales.

Building on this perspective, this Special Issue welcomes original research papers, reviews, short communications, and perspectives addressing cutting-edge advancements and critical insights into bioengineering approaches to microalgae-based systems. Submissions may focus on, but are not limited to, the following key topics:

(i) Cellular, metabolic, and systems-level engineering strategies that enhance microalgal performance and robustness;

(ii) Cultivation regimes, bioreactor architectures, and bioprocess designs supporting resource-efficient and environmentally responsive systems;

(iii) Multi-scale modeling, monitoring, control, and data-informed optimization;

(iv) Scale-up, integration, and deployment pathways aligned with sustainable production, environmental services, and health-oriented applications;

(v) Emerging bioengineering paradigms—including computational, digital, and generative approaches—that support reproducible and translational microalgae-based systems.

Dr. Eduardo Jacob-Lopes
Dr. Mariane Bittencourt Fagundes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• metabolic engineering
• cellular systems
• bioprocess and bioproducts
• multi-scale strategies
• modeling and optimization
• sustainable biotechnology
• translational applications