error_outline You can access the new MDPI.com website here. Explore and share your feedback with us.
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
10.1
5.4
Journals
Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Applications of Marine Microalgal Biotechnology
marinedrugs-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Marine Drugs Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Applications of Marine Microalgal Biotechnology

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 2587

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chaogang Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: algae; microalgae; lipids metabolism; synthetic biology; metabolic engineering; astaxanthin synthesis; co-culture of microalgae and bacteria
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine microalgae hold great biotechnological potential. They are natural reservoirs of industrially relevant chemicals, metabolites, and bioactive compounds. Carotenoids, fatty acids, amino acids, and bioactive peptides derived from marine microalgae have promising applications in food, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, biofuels, and oleochemicals. This Special Issue explores cutting-edge research on marine microalgae, their potential for bioactive compound production, and novel drug discovery. We invite articles focusing on multidisciplinary marine drug research, from basic biotechnological studies to translational research, including studies on upstream and downstream microalgae bioprocessing; the fermentation, extraction, and characterization of bioactive compounds; the enhancement in strain efficiency through advanced synthetic biology and metabolic engineering tools; and the evaluation of their potential in medicines and health applications. Articles combining advanced molecular and synthetic biology techniques with innovative strategies to optimize microalgae as biofactories for producing high-value bioactive compounds are especially welcome.

Dr. Chaogang Wang
Guest Editor

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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs 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 2900 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.

Keywords

  • microalgae
  • biotechnology
  • synthetic biology
  • metabolic engineering
  • bioprocess engineering
  • fermentation
  • biochemistry
  • natural compounds
  • marine drugs

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 1759 KB  
Article
Installing a Ketocarotenoid Branch in Phaeodactylum tricornutum via Functional Activation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii β-Carotene Ketolase
by Hengshen Chao, Rasool Kamal, Yan Wu, Danqiong Huang and Chaogang Wang
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(12), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23120470 - 8 Dec 2025
Viewed by 492
Abstract
Astaxanthin is a high-value ketocarotenoid antioxidant, but its industrial production from Haematococcus pluvialis is constrained by multi-stage cultivation and a rigid cell wall that hinders downstream extraction. The marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which lacks these limitations, represents a promising alternative chassis because [...] Read more.
Astaxanthin is a high-value ketocarotenoid antioxidant, but its industrial production from Haematococcus pluvialis is constrained by multi-stage cultivation and a rigid cell wall that hinders downstream extraction. The marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which lacks these limitations, represents a promising alternative chassis because it grows fast, lacks a recalcitrant wall, and supports efficient pigment accumulation. This study establishes a functional ketocarotenoid biosynthetic branch in P. tricornutum through rational metabolic engineering. To address challenges in protein targeting posed by the host’s complex plastid architecture, we performed heterologous expression of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii β-carotene ketolase (CrBKT), fused at its N-terminus to bipartite transit peptides derived from two endogenous proteins. Western blotting and UPLC-MS/MS analysis confirmed that only the transit peptide fused constructs produced stable protein and functional activity, whereas the native CrBKT failed. The rationally engineered strain successfully accumulated ~45 µg/g DCW of canthaxanthin and ~15 µg/g DCW of astaxanthin. Metabolomic profiling revealed a 50% reduction in fucoxanthin, indicating a substantial redirection of metabolic flux from the native pathway toward the engineered ketocarotenoid branch. This work establishes P. tricornutum as a viable platform for ketocarotenoid production and highlights the critical role of evolution-aware plastid targeting in heterologous pathway reconstruction within complex algal systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Marine Microalgal Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1637 KB  
Article
Characterization of the VOC Promoter That Is Active Under Low-Salinity Conditions in the Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum
by Charlotte Toustou, Carole Plasson, Marie-Christine Kiefer-Meyer and Muriel Bardor
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(5), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23050185 - 26 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1339
Abstract
Microalgae such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum are promising cell biofactories for the production of high-value molecules, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, to date, the production of mAbs in P. tricornutum using the inducible nitrate reductase (NR) promoter has yielded only a limited amount of [...] Read more.
Microalgae such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum are promising cell biofactories for the production of high-value molecules, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, to date, the production of mAbs in P. tricornutum using the inducible nitrate reductase (NR) promoter has yielded only a limited amount of mAbs. Therefore, the identification of a robust promoter that produces high yields of mAbs is crucial for the development of a cost-effective expression system. To date, only a few endogenous promoters have been characterized in P. tricornutum. In this study, we identified thirty-three potential “strong” endogenous promoters based on our previously published transcriptomic data from the P. tricornutum Pt3 strain. These putative promoter sequences were cloned into an episomal vector and fused to the gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Their strength was assessed by measuring eGFP fluorescence, which reflects the level of eGFP protein expression. Of the thirty-three promoters, thirteen were able to successfully drive eGFP protein expression. Among them, the best results were obtained with the VOC promoter, which allowed a significant increase in eGFP expression compared to that induced by the NR promoter. These results contribute to the identification of new genetic tools that can be used in future studies to increase the yield of production of recombinant proteins in P. tricornutum at an industrial scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Marine Microalgal Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 1543 KB  
Review
Engineering Microalgae for Enhanced Astaxanthin Production: Integrating Metabolic Pathways and Nano-Biotechnologies
by Zhongliang Sun, Shuonan Cao, Shoukai Guo, Weixian Cheng, Adamu Yunusa Ugya and Liqin Sun
Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(12), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23120476 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Astaxanthin is a high-value metabolite with substantial market demand, owing to its potent antioxidant activity and diverse health benefits. Microalgae are considered the primary producers of esterified astaxanthin, yet their industrial-scale cultivation is constrained by low productivity, stress-dependent induction, and challenges in metabolic [...] Read more.
Astaxanthin is a high-value metabolite with substantial market demand, owing to its potent antioxidant activity and diverse health benefits. Microalgae are considered the primary producers of esterified astaxanthin, yet their industrial-scale cultivation is constrained by low productivity, stress-dependent induction, and challenges in metabolic engineering. This review examines strategies to enhance microalgae-derived esterified astaxanthin production through nanoformulation and modulation of metabolic pathways. We highlight that precise, efficient, and multiplexed genetic modifications of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway can significantly increase astaxanthin accumulation. Downregulation of competing metabolic routes further improves astaxanthin yields. Additionally, targeted engineering of acyltransferases and lipid metabolism regulators enhances astaxanthin esterification, thereby improving its intracellular stability against oxidative degradation. Modifying lipid metabolism also redirects metabolic fluxes toward altered fatty acid saturation in stored lipids, which increases the bioavailability of esterified astaxanthin. The integration of nanoparticles into cultivation systems represents another promising approach, facilitating improved nutrient delivery and light management, and consequently boosting astaxanthin production. However, the application of genetic engineering and nanotechnology faces challenges such as biosafety legislation, regulatory approval processes, and potential ecological impacts. A synergistic combination of both approaches may help overcome these limitations and maximize astaxanthin production from microalgae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Marine Microalgal Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop