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Applied Sciences
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Advances in Algal Biomass Applications II
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Advances in Algal Biomass Applications II

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2023) | Viewed by 8063

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Birthe Vejby Nielsen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering and Science, Algae Biotechnology Research Group, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
Interests: anaerobic digestion; biofuels; biomass conversion; biomethane potential; mass spectrometry; biomarker identification; protein purification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microalgae and macroalgae (or seaweed) have been used by humankind for generations as food, food supplements, fertilisers, hydrocolloids, and cosmetic ingredients, and the global utilisation of algae is currently a multibillion-dollar industry. Although there have been some commercial successes, there are further extensive potential applications of both micro- and macroalgae in the food, nutraceutical, biopharmaceutical, and renewable energy industries. A vast number of various algal bioactive compounds are yet to be exploited, and challenges remain which must be overcome in order to successfully transfer laboratory-scale knowledge into industrial practices. These challenges include production costs, regulatory issues, and both upstream and downstream process optimisation. This second edition of the Special Issue on “Advances in Algal Biomass Applications” seeks high-quality contributions with a focus on the latest advances in industrial and commercial applications of micro- and macroalgal biomass and on strategies involved in refining these aquatic species.

Dr. Birthe Vejby Nielsen
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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
  • macroalgae
  • seaweed
  • marine bioactive compounds
  • biorefineries
  • biofuel
  • algae biomass
  • pre-treatment
  • microalgal technologies
  • nutraceuticals
  • pharmaceuticals

Published Papers (4 papers)

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21 pages, 3233 KiB  
Article
Anaerobic Digestion of Microalga Chlorella protothecoides and Metagenomic Analysis of Reddish-Colored Digestate
by Ana Eusébio, Carla A. Santos and Isabel Paula Marques
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 3325; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app13053325 - 06 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1522
Abstract
Microalga Chlorella protothecoides materials were assessed as substrates for anaerobic digestion (AD) aiming at the simultaneous production of biogas/methane and pigments: whole autotrophic (AA) and heterotrophic algae (H); extracted heterotrophic microalgae from lipid production (HExt); and pretreated heterotrophic microalgae through enzymatic (HPEnz), autoclave [...] Read more.
Microalga Chlorella protothecoides materials were assessed as substrates for anaerobic digestion (AD) aiming at the simultaneous production of biogas/methane and pigments: whole autotrophic (AA) and heterotrophic algae (H); extracted heterotrophic microalgae from lipid production (HExt); and pretreated heterotrophic microalgae through enzymatic (HPEnz), autoclave (HPA), and ultrasound (HPU) processes. AA was more suitable for AD than H, as it was more efficiently converted into methane (279 vs. 180 L CH4/kg VSin). In comparison, the pretreatment of heterotrophic microalgae had a positive effect on AD, with registered methane yield increases from 263 to 290 L CH4/kg VSin (HPU, HPA, HExt). Reddish pigmentation developed in H and HPU units due to the presence of purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB). This phenomenon and the changes in microbiota structure during AD were confirmed by metagenomic analysis. At the end of the process, the relative abundance of Clostridiales and Bacillales increased, enhancing the hydrolysis of compounds in acetate. Consistently, Methanosaeta became the comparatively dominant methanogen, meaning that methane was produced through the acetoclastic methanogenesis pathway. The obtained results indicate for AD biorefinery feasibility—regarding the simultaneous production of biogas/methane—a digestate flow and pigments (bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Algal Biomass Applications II)
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21 pages, 8338 KiB  
Article
Taxonomic Structure Evolution, Chemical Composition and Anaerobic Digestibility of Microalgae-Bacterial Granular Sludge (M-BGS) Grown during Treatment of Digestate
by Joanna Kazimierowicz, Marcin Dębowski and Marcin Zieliński
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 1098; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app13021098 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1867
Abstract
The liquid fraction from the dewatering of digested sewage sludge (LF-DSS) represents a major processing complication for wastewater treatment facilities, thus necessitating new and effective methods of LF-DSS neutralization. This pilot-scale study examined the evolution of a Chlorella sp. monoculture into microalgal-bacterial granular [...] Read more.
The liquid fraction from the dewatering of digested sewage sludge (LF-DSS) represents a major processing complication for wastewater treatment facilities, thus necessitating new and effective methods of LF-DSS neutralization. This pilot-scale study examined the evolution of a Chlorella sp. monoculture into microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (M-BGS) during treatment of LF-DSS in a hybrid photo-bioreactor (H-PBR). The M-BGS reached a stable taxonomic and morphological structure after 60 days of H-PBR operation. The biomass was primarily composed of Chlorella sp., Microthrix parvicella, and type 1851 and 1701 filamentous bacteria. A greater abundance of bacteria led to a faster-growing M-BGS biomass (to a level of 4800 ± 503 mgTS/dm3), as well as improved TOC and COD removal from the LF-DSS (88.2 ± 7.2% and 84.1 ± 5.1%). The efficiency of N/P removal was comparable, since regardless of the composition and concentration of biomass, it ranged from 68.9 ± 3.1% to 71.3 ± 3.1% for N and from 54.2 ± 4.1% to 56, 2 ± 4.6% for P. As the M-BGS taxonomic structure evolved and the C/N ratio improved, so did the anaerobic digestion (AD) performance. Biogas yield from the M-BGS peaked at 531 ± 38 cm3/gVS (methane fraction = 66.2 ± 2.7%). It was found that final effects of AD were also strongly correlated with the N and TOC content in the substrate and pH value. A mature M-BGS significantly improved settleability and separability through filtration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Algal Biomass Applications II)
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17 pages, 2444 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Resource Potential of Baltic Sea Macroalgae
by Yuliya Kulikova, Stanislav Sukhikh, Olga Kalashnikova, Evgeny Chupakhin, Svetlana Ivanova, Boris Chubarenko, Julia Gorbunova and Olga Babich
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 3599; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12073599 - 01 Apr 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2223
Abstract
The excess biomass of drifting algae and their casting to the Baltic Sea coast imposes a significant environmental burden. The analysis of beach-cast algae showed that the dominant species are macroalgae Ulva sp., Furcellaria lumbricalis, Cladophora sp., and Polysiphonia fucoides. The [...] Read more.
The excess biomass of drifting algae and their casting to the Baltic Sea coast imposes a significant environmental burden. The analysis of beach-cast algae showed that the dominant species are macroalgae Ulva sp., Furcellaria lumbricalis, Cladophora sp., and Polysiphonia fucoides. The biomass of Furcellaria and Polysiphonia algae, containing 25.6% and 19.98% sugars, respectively, has the greatest resource potential in terms of obtaining carbohydrates. Fucose, glucose, and galactose were found to be the most common carbohydrates. The lipid content did not exceed 4.3% (2.3–4.3%), while the fatty acid composition was represented by saturated fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, methyloleic, behenic, etc.). The highest content of crude protein was found in samples of macroalgae of the genus Polysiphonia and amounted to 28.2%. A study of the elemental composition of drifting algae revealed that they have a high carbon content (31.3–37.5%) and a low hydrogen (4.96–5.82%), and sulfur (1.75–3.00%) content. Red algal biomass has the most resource potential in terms of biofuel generation, as it has a high number of lipids and proteins that can produce melanoidins during hydrothermal liquefaction, enhancing the fuel yield. The study noted the feasibility of using the biomass of the studied algae taxa to produce polysaccharides and biofuels. The analyses of antioxidant properties, fat content, and fat composition do not provide convincing evidence of the viability of using the aforementioned macroalgae for their production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Algal Biomass Applications II)
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10 pages, 1234 KiB  
Technical Note
Biosorption Potential of Sargassum for Removal of Aqueous Dye Solutions
by Birthe Vejby Nielsen, Supattra Maneein, Jahanvi Dipakbhai Anghan, Riya Mukeshbhai Anghan, Md Mahmud Al Farid and John James Milledge
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4173; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12094173 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1831
Abstract
Sargassum muticum is an invasive species to the coasts of the British Isles, mainland Europe and North America, with negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Pelagic Sargassum inundations on the beaches of the Caribbean have also been causing adverse health, ecological and economic effects. [...] Read more.
Sargassum muticum is an invasive species to the coasts of the British Isles, mainland Europe and North America, with negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Pelagic Sargassum inundations on the beaches of the Caribbean have also been causing adverse health, ecological and economic effects. The finding of commercial uses of these biomasses may alleviate the costs of removal and control. Both pelagic Sargassum and S. muticum could be low-cost biosorbents for removing aqueous cationic dyes but may not be suitable for anionic substances without modification. This study found that a Sargassum biomass could remove up to 93% of methylene blue and that the species, concentration and treatment (CaCl2) were all statistically highly significant factors (p < 0.001) in its removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Algal Biomass Applications II)
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