The Notion of Microalgal Bio-Refinery: Transitioning from Wastewater Treatment to By-Products Recovery

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of a bio-economy framework, photosynthetic microorganisms such as microalgae and cyanobacteria are increasingly recognized as a viable resource for producing a diverse array of commercially valuable bio-based products. These products span various sectors including energy, animal feed, human nutrition, pharmaceuticals, aquaculture, and agro-industry. Additionally, these microorganisms play a crucial role in environmentally friendly processes by extracting organic carbon and nutrients and absorbing heavy metals present in wastewater from aquaculture, agriculture, industries, and human and animal activities. Leveraging microalgae for wastewater treatment not only aids in environmental conservation but also enables water reclamation, reuse, and the recycling of by-products. The integration of wastewater management with the recovery of valuable resources, such as biomethane, bioethanol, biooil, biofertilizers, biopolymers, and pigments, during the wastewater remediation process could establish the foundation for a circular bio-economy, benefiting both developed and developing nations. This approach is particularly crucial in the face of global concerns surrounding climate change, environmental pollution, and the scarcity of food and water resources. Therefore, microalgae serve as efficient bioreactors, producing biomass as a source of valuable bio-products while simultaneously aiding in phycoremediation applications.

This Research Topic invites contributions that explore and advance the current state of microalgae biorefinery systems, with a specific focus on technologies for algal wastewater treatment and the reclamation and valorization of treated water and generated biomass. We welcome submissions in various formats including Original Research Articles, Review Articles, Perspective and Opinion Articles, and Short Communications. Some of the topics of interest include:

• Cultivation of heterotrophic and mixotrophic microalgae for wastewater degradation.
• Emerging technologies utilizing microalgae and cyanobacteria.
• Mechanisms underlying microalgae-bacteria interactions in wastewater-based cultivation.
• Extraction of value-added products from microalgal-cyanobacterial biomass.
• Resource recovery through microalgal wastewater remediation.
• Pre-treatment technologies for high concentration and high turbidity wastewater suitable for subsequent microalgae-based degradation.
• Circular bio-economy models based on microalgae-based waste biorefineries.
• Utilization of by-products from microalgal waste streams for phycoremediation of wastewater and carbon sequestration.
• Microalgae-cyanobacteria-based technologies driven by the principles of circular economy towards achieving carbon neutrality in wastewater treatment.

Dr. Giovanni Antonio Lutzu
Guest Editor

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• microalgae
• mixotrophy
• heterotrophy
• bio-products
• wastewater treatment
• nutraceuticals
• pharmaceuticals
• biostimulants
• bioplastics
• biodiesel