Improving Marine Algae for Bioenergy 277
Table 1. Examples of marine microalgae used in biofuel production and in biotechnology.
Algal
class
Algal species
Biotechnological applications
(Value compounds)
Transformation
techniques
Advantages or
drawbacks
Chlorophytes
Chlorella sp.
Rich in chlorophyll, essential amino
acids, high-quality protein, fatty
acids, and bioactive compounds.
High biomass production. One of
the best candidate for biofuel and H 2
production.
Biolistic procedures
(Dawson et al. 1997)
PEG-CaCl2 and
Electroporation
(Hawkins and Nakamura
1999) Agrobacterium
tumefaciens-mediated
(Cha et al. 2012)
Whole genome
available, transformable.
Widespread, but with
rigid cell wall makes cell
disruption difficult
Dunaliella salina Cells accumulate abundant quantities
of β-carotene and glycerol. High
production of valuable polypeptides
and proteins.
Potential as a feedstock for biofuel
production.
Biolistic procedures
(Tan et al. 2005)
Glass beads (Feng et al.
2009)
Needs high salinity in the
culture media.
Very little is known about
the genome
Ostreococcus
tauri
Rich in oils.
Good candidate for biodiesel
production.
Electroporation (van
Ooijen et al. 2012)
Smallest free-living
eukaryote. Whole
genome available.
Easy to culture
Phaeophytes
Laminaria
japonica
Consumed as a subsidiary food,
and used as a source of low value
products, such as iodine, mannitol and
alginate.
Biolistic procedures (Qin
et al. 1999)
Large size. Little is
known about the genome
Rhodophytes
Porphyra
yezoensis
Traditionally used as ingredient in
foods, food additives, and medicines.
Good biomass production.
Biolistic procedures
(Hirata et al. 2011; Uji et
al. 2012)
Little is known about the
genome
Porphyridium sp. Attractive for biotechnological
purposes because they synthesize
unique cell wall sulfated
polysaccharides, accessory
photosynthetic pigments (phycobilins
and carotenoids), and unsaturated fatty
acids.
Biolistic procedures
(Lapidot et al. 2002)
Little is known about the
genome
Diatoms
Thalassiosira sp. Potential source of biodiesel and
specialty chemicals, such as omega-3
fatty acids.
Biolistic procedur
(Poulsen et al. 2006)
Whole genome available.
Fistulifera sp.
Rich in oils, Biodiesel production.
Biolistic procedures
(Muto et al. 2012)
Chloroplast genome
sequenced
Phaeodactylum
tricornutum
Abundant sources of long chained
polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids.
Electroporation (Niu et al.
2012) Biolistic procedures
(Zaslavskaia et al. 2001)
Whole genome available
Eustigmatophyceae
Nannochloropis
sp.
Stores relatively large amounts of
lipids, in the form of triacylglycerols,
even during logarithmic growth.
Could be used as feedstock for biofuel
production.
Electroporation
(Kilian et al. 2011)
Whole genome available,
easily transformed
Cyanobacteria
Anabaena sp.
Possible candidate for H 2 production. Natural transformationplasmid transfer of DNA
(Happe et al. 2000;
Masukawa et al. 2010)
Whole genome available.
Capable of nitrogen
fixation. Filamentous
morphology
Synechocystis sp.
and Synecococcus
sp.
Showing oils and terpens suitable for
biofuel production.
H 2 producer.
Natural transformationplasmid transfer of DNA
(Baebprasert et al. 2011)
Whole genome available,
genetically transformable
Table 1. Examples of marine microalgae used in biofuel production and in biotechnology.
Algal
class
Algal species
Biotechnological applications
(Value compounds)
Transformation
techniques
Advantages or
drawbacks
Chlorophytes
Chlorella sp.
Rich in chlorophyll, essential amino
acids, high-quality protein, fatty
acids, and bioactive compounds.
High biomass production. One of
the best candidate for biofuel and H 2
production.
Biolistic procedures
(Dawson et al. 1997)
PEG-CaCl2 and
Electroporation
(Hawkins and Nakamura
1999) Agrobacterium
tumefaciens-mediated
(Cha et al. 2012)
Whole genome
available, transformable.
Widespread, but with
rigid cell wall makes cell
disruption difficult
Dunaliella salina Cells accumulate abundant quantities
of β-carotene and glycerol. High
production of valuable polypeptides
and proteins.
Potential as a feedstock for biofuel
production.
Biolistic procedures
(Tan et al. 2005)
Glass beads (Feng et al.
2009)
Needs high salinity in the
culture media.
Very little is known about
the genome
Ostreococcus
tauri
Rich in oils.
Good candidate for biodiesel
production.
Electroporation (van
Ooijen et al. 2012)
Smallest free-living
eukaryote. Whole
genome available.
Easy to culture
Phaeophytes
Laminaria
japonica
Consumed as a subsidiary food,
and used as a source of low value
products, such as iodine, mannitol and
alginate.
Biolistic procedures (Qin
et al. 1999)
Large size. Little is
known about the genome
Rhodophytes
Porphyra
yezoensis
Traditionally used as ingredient in
foods, food additives, and medicines.
Good biomass production.
Biolistic procedures
(Hirata et al. 2011; Uji et
al. 2012)
Little is known about the
genome
Porphyridium sp. Attractive for biotechnological
purposes because they synthesize
unique cell wall sulfated
polysaccharides, accessory
photosynthetic pigments (phycobilins
and carotenoids), and unsaturated fatty
acids.
Biolistic procedures
(Lapidot et al. 2002)
Little is known about the
genome
Diatoms
Thalassiosira sp. Potential source of biodiesel and
specialty chemicals, such as omega-3
fatty acids.
Biolistic procedur
(Poulsen et al. 2006)
Whole genome available.
Fistulifera sp.
Rich in oils, Biodiesel production.
Biolistic procedures
(Muto et al. 2012)
Chloroplast genome
sequenced
Phaeodactylum
tricornutum
Abundant sources of long chained
polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids.
Electroporation (Niu et al.
2012) Biolistic procedures
(Zaslavskaia et al. 2001)
Whole genome available
Eustigmatophyceae
Nannochloropis
sp.
Stores relatively large amounts of
lipids, in the form of triacylglycerols,
even during logarithmic growth.
Could be used as feedstock for biofuel
production.
Electroporation
(Kilian et al. 2011)
Whole genome available,
easily transformed
Cyanobacteria
Anabaena sp.
Possible candidate for H 2 production. Natural transformationplasmid transfer of DNA
(Happe et al. 2000;
Masukawa et al. 2010)
Whole genome available.
Capable of nitrogen
fixation. Filamentous
morphology
Synechocystis sp.
and Synecococcus
sp.
Showing oils and terpens suitable for
biofuel production.
H 2 producer.
Natural transformationplasmid transfer of DNA
(Baebprasert et al. 2011)
Whole genome available,
genetically transformable