Microalgae for biofuels: the Portuguese experience

Gouveia, Luisa; Reis, Alberto; Moura, Patrícia; Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Gírio, Francisco

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/2875

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
WatchLetter_32_2015.pdf		2.03 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Gouveia, Luisa

Reis, Alberto

Moura, Patrícia

Oliveira, Ana Cristina

Gírio, Francisco

Abstract(s)

Autotrophic microalgae are photosynthetic organisms that undergo the conversion of light into chemical energy as a form of a wide range of organic compounds through its photosynthetic machinery. The cultivation of microalgae brings environmental advantages, bearing in mind the capability of nutrient recycling in wastewaters together with the fixation of greenhouse gases such as CO2. These micro-organisms have been widely recognized as having huge potential as feedstock for food, feed, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries (carotenoids, antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, single-cell proteins (SCP), hycobiliproteins, polysaccharides, vitamins, phytosterols, minerals). Microalgae have also been proposed as a feedstock for bioplastics, agriculture biofertilizers and recently as an energetic vector towards the production of a wide range of biofuels.