Microalgae selection and improvement as oil crops: GM vs non-GM strain engineering

Abstract

Despite being established as a sustainable feedstock for biofuel production with tremendous potential, the microalgae biofuel industry still struggles to make large-scale production economically viable. An overriding aspect in microalgae oil production is strain selection, as it affects nearly all stages of production. This chapter presents the key traits that microalgae should possess for successful lipid production, as well as suitable isolation and selection strategies. It highlights the various metabolic engineering methods that are currently available for the biological improvement of microalgae strains, comparing GM vs non-GM approaches.

Keywords

• biofuel
• genetic engineering
• metabolic engineering
• microalgae
• microalgal lipid