New biofuel alternatives: integrating waste management and single cell oil production.
Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions have increased research efforts into alternatives in bio-based processes. With regard to transport fuel, bioethanol and biodiesel are still the main biofuels used. It is expected that future production of these biofuels will be based on processes using either non-food competing biomasses, or characterised by low CO₂ emissions. Many microorganisms, such as microalgae, yeast, bacteria and fungi, have the ability to accumulate oils under special culture conditions. Microbial oils might become one of the potential feed-stocks for biodiesel production in the near future. The use of these oils is currently under extensive research in order to reduce production costs associated with the fermentation process, which is a crucial factor to increase economic feasibility. An important way to reduce processing costs is the use of wastes as carbon sources. The aim of the present review is to describe the main aspects related to the use of different oleaginous microorganisms for lipid production and their performance when using bio-wastes. The possibilities for combining hydrogen (H₂) and lipid production are also explored in an attempt for improving the economic feasibility of the process.
Chemical and Environmental Bioprocess Engineering Department, Natural Resources Institute (IRENA), University of León, Av. de Portugal 41, León 24071, Spain. ejmart@unileon.es.
Elia Judith
EJ
Martínez
Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, QC H9X-3V9, Canada. vijaya.raghavan@mcgill.ca.
Vijaya
V
Raghavan
Chemical and Environmental Bioprocess Engineering Department, Natural Resources Institute (IRENA), University of León, Av. de Portugal 41, León 24071, Spain. fernando.gonzalez@unileon.es.
Fernando
F
González-Andrés
Chemical and Environmental Bioprocess Engineering Department, Natural Resources Institute (IRENA), University of León, Av. de Portugal 41, León 24071, Spain. xagomb@unileon.es.
Xiomar
X
Gómez
D056804:Biofuels / Q000382:microbiology*; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002625:Chemistry, Organic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005285:Fermentation; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000737:chemistry; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
D056804:Biofuels; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; C036909:lignocellulose; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000431:Ethanol; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen; D008031:Lignin