Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Rd., Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China.
Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
Planta. 2019 Jan;249(1):195-219. doi: 10.1007/s00425-018-3066-8. Epub 2019 Jan 2.
It has been proposed that future efforts should focus on basic studies, biotechnology studies and synthetic biology studies related to algal biofuels and various high-value bioproducts for the economically viable production of algal biof uels. In recognition of diminishing fossil fuel reserves and the worsening environment, microalgal biofuel has been proposed as a renewable energy source with great potential. Algal biofuel thus became one of the hottest topics in renewable energy research in the new century, especially over the past decade. Between 2007 and 2017, research related to microalgal biofuels experienced a dramatic, three-stage development, rising, growing exponentially, and then declining rapidly due to overheating of the subject. However, biofuel-driven algal biotechnology and bioproducts research has been thriving since 2010. To clarify the gains (and pains) of the past decade and detail prospects for the future, this review summarizes the extensive scientific progress and substantial technical advances in algal biofuel over the past decade, covering basic biology, applied research, as well as the production of value-added natural products. Even after 10 years of hard work and billions of dollars in investments, its unacceptably high cost remains the ultimate bottleneck for the industrialization of algal biofuel. To maximize the total research benefits, both economically and socially, it has been proposed that future efforts should focus on basic studies to characterize oilgae, on biotechnology studies into various high-value bioproducts. Moreover, the development of synthetic biology provides new possibilities for the economically viable production of biofuels via the directional manufacture of microalgal bioproducts in algal cell factories.
有人提出，未来的工作应重点放在藻类生物燃料和各种高价值生物制品的基础研究、生物技术研究和合成生物学研究上，以实现藻类生物燃料的经济可行生产。认识到化石燃料储量的减少和环境的恶化，微藻生物燃料已被提议作为一种可再生能源，具有巨大的潜力。因此，藻类生物燃料成为新世纪可再生能源研究中最热门的话题之一，尤其是在过去十年中。在 2007 年至 2017 年期间，与微藻生物燃料相关的研究经历了戏剧性的、三阶段的发展，由于该主题过热，研究呈上升、指数增长、然后迅速下降的趋势。然而，自 2010 年以来，以生物燃料为动力的藻类生物技术和生物制品研究一直在蓬勃发展。为了阐明过去十年的得失，并详细说明未来的前景，本综述总结了过去十年中藻类生物燃料在基础生物学、应用研究以及增值天然产物生产方面的广泛科学进展和重大技术进步。即使经过 10 年的努力和数十亿美元的投资，其高得令人无法接受的成本仍然是藻类生物燃料工业化的最终瓶颈。为了最大限度地提高经济和社会的总研究效益，有人提出，未来的工作应重点放在油藻特性的基础研究上，以及各种高价值生物制品的生物技术研究上。此外，合成生物学的发展为通过在藻类细胞工厂中定向制造微藻生物制品来经济可行地生产生物燃料提供了新的可能性。
