Abstract
Climate change, energy use and food security are the main challenges that our society is facing nowadays. Biofuels and feedstock from microalgae can be part of the solution if high and continuous production is to be ensured. This could be attained in year‐round, low cost, outdoor cultivation systems using strains that are not only champion producers of desired compounds but also have robust growth in a dynamic climate. Using microalgae strains adapted to the local conditions may be advantageous particularly in Nordic countries. Here, we review the current status of laboratory and outdoor‐scale cultivation in Nordic conditions of local strains for biofuel, high‐value compounds and water remediation. Strains suitable for biotechnological purposes were identified from the large and diverse pool represented by saline (NE Atlantic Ocean), brackish (Baltic Sea) and fresh water (lakes and rivers) sources. Energy‐efficient annual rotation for cultivation of strains well adapted to Nordic climate has the potential to provide high biomass yields for biotechnological purposes.
Highlights
The recent meeting of the International Panel on Climate Change has announced that the global temperature has increased 1∘C relative to preindustrial levels (IPCC 2018)
Energy sources that are carbon neutral and renewable are urgently needed as alternatives to fossil fuels
Hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal power and biofuels are already used to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels
Summary
The recent meeting of the International Panel on Climate Change has announced that the global temperature has increased 1∘C relative to preindustrial levels (IPCC 2018). Above the Polar Circle, the sun stays above the horizon for the whole 24 hours (polar summer) while during the polar winter, the sun is under the horizon for the entire duration of a day For this particular area, light is the most important factor that controls the distribution and seasonal occurrence of various species (Berge et al 2015), while survival in prolonged darkness is an essential feature of polar microalgae (Peters and Thomas 1996). The silica frustules of diatoms confer protection against DNA damage by UV-B irradiation (Aguirre et al 2018) Compared to their arctic counterparts, light responses of temperate microalgae are not limited by the low temperature and are more complex, including a fast-inducible and higher-than-plants NPQ (Ruban et al 2004, Goss and Lepetit 2015), efficient clearance and repair of damaged PSII (Wu et al 2012) and increased rate of CO2 fixation (Ni et al 2017). The supremacy of diatoms in such dynamic environments is due to their special adaptations, including: (1) unique mechanisms for carbon, nitrate and phosphorus utilization (Armbrust et al 2004, Kroth et al 2008, Dyhrman et al 2012, Hockin et al 2012); (2) ability to withstand long periods of darkness while maintaining a functional photosynthetic apparatus (Nymark et al 2013); (3) high and fast inducible NPQ (Kashino et al 2002, Ruban et al 2004, Lavaud and Kroth 2006, Taddei et al 2018) and (4) survival for long periods of time in sediments until favorable conditions occur (Härnström et al 2011)
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