Nowadays, there is an interest in biomedical and nanobiotechnological studies, such as studies on carotenoids as antioxidants and studies on molecular markers for cardiovascular, endocrine, and oncological diseases. Moreover, interest in industrial production of microalgal biomass for biofuels and bioproducts has stimulated studies on microalgal physiology and mechanisms of synthesis and accumulation of valuable biomolecules in algal cells. Biomolecules such as neutral lipids and carotenoids are being actively explored by the biotechnology community. Raman spectroscopy (RS) has become an important tool for researchers to understand biological processes at the cellular level in medicine and biotechnology. This review provides a brief analysis of existing studies on the application of RS for investigation of biological, medical, analytical, photosynthetic, and algal research, particularly to understand how the technique can be used for lipids, carotenoids, and cellular research. First, the review article shows the main applications of the modified Raman spectroscopy in medicine and biotechnology. Research works in the field of medicine and biotechnology are analysed in terms of showing the common connections of some studies as caretenoids and lipids. Second, this article summarises some of the recent advances in Raman microspectroscopy applications in areas related to microalgal detection. Strategies based on Raman spectroscopy provide potential for biochemical-composition analysis and imaging of living microalgal cells, in situ and in vivo. Finally, current approaches used in the papers presented show the advantages, perspectives, and other essential specifics of the method applied to plants and other species/objects.

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Microalga Chlorella (Chromochloris) zofingiensis has been gaining increasing attention of investigators as a potential competitor to Haematococcus pluvialis for astaxanthin and other xanthophylls production. Phytohormones, including abscisic acid (ABA), at concentrations relevant to that in hydroponic wastewater, have proven themselves as strong inductors of microalgae biomass productivity and biosynthesis of valuable molecules. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the influence of phytohormone ABA on the physiology of C. zofingiensis in a non-aseptic batch experiment. Exogenous ABA stimulated C. zofingiensis cell division, biomass production, as well as chlorophyll, carotenoid, and lipid biosynthesis. The relationship between exogenous ABA concentration and the magnitude of the observed effects was non-linear, with the exception of cell growth and biomass production. Fatty acid accumulation and composition depended on the concentration of ABA tested. Exogenous ABA induced spectacular changes in the major components of the culture microbiome of C. zofingiensis. Thus, the abundance of the representatives of the genus Rhodococcus increased drastically with an increase in ABA concentration, whereas the abundance of the representatives of Reyranella and Bradyrhizobium genera declined. The possibilities of exogenous ABA applications for the enhancing of the biomass, carotenoid, and fatty acid productivity of the C. zofingiensis cultures are discussed.

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