Microalgal Consortia: From Wastewater Treatment to Bioenergy Production

Abstract

Cultivation of microalgae has been the focus of several research studies worldwide, due to the huge potential of these photosynthetic microorganisms in a wide range of applications, namely environmental and biotechnological ones. Regarding environmental applications, these microorganisms can play an important role in CO2 uptake and wastewater treatment processes and can be used as raw materials for bioenergy production. However, cultivation of these microorganisms for these applications still faces some problems: (1) it is very difficult to maintain pure cultures of these microorganisms in wastewater treatment processes and (2) bioenergy production process using these microorganisms is still not economically viable. To face these challenges, several studies have reported the use of microalgal consortia. When using microalgal consortia, cooperative interactions can occur, enhancing biomass productivities and therefore nutrients uptake and lipids content. Additionally, these systems tend to be more resistant to environmental conditions oscillations, facilitating the overall production process. In this study, an overview on the use of microalgal consortia for CO2 capture, wastewater treatment and bioenergy production is provided, focusing on the interactions that can occur between these microorganisms and how they can improve these environmental applications. (c) Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.