Construction of co-culture of microalgae with microorganisms for enhancing biomass production and wastewater treatment: a review

Abstract

The development of microalgae cultivation in wastewater has been explored for years. Several wastewaters and nutrient sources related to biomass generation have been combined in recent years. On the other hand, several factors seem to reduce the possibility of industrialized this concept shortly. The growth rate and harvesting cost of the algae are often pointed as the leading cause of the gap for industrialization of this concept. In order to counteract these problems, constructing microalgae in the form of co-culture consortia with microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, have been reported to enhance the production of biomass under a short period of cultivation. This review highlights the strategies to combine microbial strains and microalgae for improving the process of biomass generation based on the comparison of the productivity of single and consortium of microalgae cultivation. Subsequently, mechanisms to enhance microalgae growth are scrutinized based on their interaction. Furthermore, critical factors regarding the construction of the consortia are discussed. Eventually, identifying gaps in this concept is displayed to describe the path of future focuses in this potential field.

Algal Consortiums: A Novel and Integrated Approach for Wastewater Treatment

“…It is also notable that healthy algal cells possess the ability to restrain the colonization of bacteria on their surfaces, and that they might be hindering the uncontrolled growth of bacteria, decreasing the availability of light and nutrients. Furthermore, the biofilm of bacteria can destroy algae, as bacteria possess the capability to penetrate inside the algal tissues, giving rise to diseases [76].…”