Molecular and Biochemical Mechanisms Elucidating Growth and Cellular Stress Responses of Microalgae

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant, Algae and Fungi Cell Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 5820

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
Interests: algal biotechnology; bioremediation & biofuels; biological NMR spectroscopy; bio-nanotechnology; integrated OMICs technologies; protein engineering; structural biology; antimicrobial agents

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Guest Editor
Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
Interests: plant biotechnology; transgenics; soil fertility; abiotic stress; plant physiology; plant biology; plants; phosphorus; fertilizers; sustainable agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microalgae are the green factories for producing array of valuable commodities having prospective applications in environment protection, energy generation, and nutrition for human health. These miniscule inventories of natural systems hold immense potential to be tailored with implementation of well-designed and established technical interventions to achieve the goals of sustainable and circular economy. Bioprospecting the natural/ engineered strains and understanding the cellular and subcellular reorganization to study the behavior, physiology, and biochemical/molecular mechanism in algal cells against different stressors is of prime interest in the area of algal biotechnology. The microalgae mount resistance/adaptation to different conditions by undergoing changes in their cell wall, cell membrane, carbon flux allocation/channelization etc., by initiating multitudinous response and by rewiring the signaling pathways to maintain the cellular homeostasis and growth. In-depth biochemical and molecular analysis of such downstream responses inside the algal cell is quintessential to discover secretive pathways, and to conduct target-based research that can be translated further to commercial industries in the form of cost-effective renewable energies, environmental remediation, and nutritive solutions to human health, thereby boosting the global economy. Essentially, the behavioral pattern of robust algal strains to tolerate multiple stressors at the same time, mimicking the real scenario to address sustainable biorefinery framework is need of the hour.

With the vision to a step towards algal based sustainable future, the special issue intends to attract novel research, review, and state-of-the art articles highlighting the aspects of cell growth, physiology, biochemical/molecular mechanisms in microalgae to counteract the different stress conditions. The studies providing the mechanistic insights and dynamics of intracellular photosynthetic, cell wall and carbon concentration machinery of microalgae under various stressors are essentially welcome.

The potential topics for the reviews, research, and state of art articles in this special issue include the following but not limited to:

  • Growth mechanisms of microalgae while producing various bioproducts under growth simulators environmental conditions;
  • Cellular stress responses under heavy metals/metalloids, organic pollutants, micro/nano plastics, nutrient limitations etc.;
  • Molecular mechanisms of microalgal cell responses using Omics technologies comprising of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and glycomics.

Dr. Krishna Mohan Poluri
Dr. Damar Lizbeth López-Arredondo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • microalgal physiology
  • cellular stress
  • organic pollutants
  • inorganic pollutants
  • nano & micro plastics
  • nutrient limitations
  • growth promotors
  • carbon fixation
  • carbon flux channelization
  • bioenergy and bioproducts
  • biorefinery
  • molecular mechanisms
  • omics technologies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 6284 KiB  
Article
A Biorefinery Approach Integrating Lipid and EPS Augmentation Along with Cr (III) Mitigation by Chlorella minutissima
by Sonia Choudhary, Mansi Tiwari and Krishna Mohan Poluri
Cells 2024, 13(24), 2047; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13242047 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 893
Abstract
The quest for cleaner and sustainable energy sources is crucial, considering the current scenario of a steep rise in energy consumption and the fuel crisis, exacerbated by diminishing fossil fuel reserves and rising pollutants. In particular, the bioaccumulation of hazardous substances like trivalent [...] Read more.
The quest for cleaner and sustainable energy sources is crucial, considering the current scenario of a steep rise in energy consumption and the fuel crisis, exacerbated by diminishing fossil fuel reserves and rising pollutants. In particular, the bioaccumulation of hazardous substances like trivalent chromium has not only disrupted the fragile equilibrium of the ecological system but also poses significant health hazards to humans. Microalgae emerged as a promising solution for achieving sustainability due to their ability to remediate contaminants and produce greener alternatives such as biofuels. This integrated approach provides an ambitious strategy to address global concerns pertaining to economic stability, environmental degradation, and the energy crisis. This study investigates the intricate defense mechanisms deployed by freshwater microalgae Chlorella minutissima in response to Cr (III) toxicity. The microalga achieved an impressive 92% removal efficiency with an IC50 value of 200 ppm, illustrating its extraordinary resilience towards chromium-induced stress. Furthermore, this research embarked on thorough explorations encompassing morphological, pigment-centric, and biochemical analyses, aimed at revealing the adaptive strategies associated with Cr (III) resilience, as well as the dynamics of carbon pool flow that contribute to enhanced lipid and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) synthesis. The FAME profile of the biodiesel produced complies with the benchmark established by American and European fuel regulations, emphasizing its suitability as a high-quality vehicular fuel. Elevated levels of ROS, TBARS, and osmolytes (such as glycine-betaine), along with the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GR, and SOD), reveal the activation of robust defense mechanisms against oxidative stress caused by Cr (III). The finding of this investigation presents an effective framework for an algal-based biorefinery approach, integrating pollutant detoxification with the generation of vehicular-quality biodiesel and additional value-added compounds vital for achieving sustainability under the concept of a circular economy. Full article
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Review

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26 pages, 1488 KiB  
Review
The Microalgae Chlamydomonas for Bioremediation and Bioproduct Production
by Carmen M. Bellido-Pedraza, Maria J. Torres and Angel Llamas
Cells 2024, 13(13), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13131137 - 2 Jul 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4065
Abstract
The extensive metabolic diversity of microalgae, coupled with their rapid growth rates and cost-effective production, position these organisms as highly promising resources for a wide range of biotechnological applications. These characteristics allow microalgae to address crucial needs in the agricultural, medical, and industrial [...] Read more.
The extensive metabolic diversity of microalgae, coupled with their rapid growth rates and cost-effective production, position these organisms as highly promising resources for a wide range of biotechnological applications. These characteristics allow microalgae to address crucial needs in the agricultural, medical, and industrial sectors. Microalgae are proving to be valuable in various fields, including the remediation of diverse wastewater types, the production of biofuels and biofertilizers, and the extraction of various products from their biomass. For decades, the microalga Chlamydomonas has been widely used as a fundamental research model organism in various areas such as photosynthesis, respiration, sulfur and phosphorus metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and flagella synthesis, among others. However, in recent years, the potential of Chlamydomonas as a biotechnological tool for bioremediation, biofertilization, biomass, and bioproducts production has been increasingly recognized. Bioremediation of wastewater using Chlamydomonas presents significant potential for sustainable reduction in contaminants and facilitates resource recovery and valorization of microalgal biomass, offering important economic benefits. Chlamydomonas has also established itself as a platform for the production of a wide variety of biotechnologically interesting products, such as different types of biofuels, and high-value-added products. The aim of this review is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the potential of Chlamydomonas in these aspects, and to explore their interrelationship, which would offer significant environmental and biotechnological advantages. Full article
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