Review of recent advances in improvement strategies for biofuels production from cyanobacteria

Abstract

Cyanobacteria, a group of photosynthetic bacteria capable of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into organic compounds, are being explored as a potential source for the production of biofuels. They have the ability to produce various types of biofuels, such as ethanol, hydrogen, and biodiesel. This study is a systematic review of scientific articles published between 2011 and 2022, focusing on the optimization of cyanobacteria cultivation for biofuel production. The results indicated that the most favorable temperature for the cultivation of cyanobacteria is around 30–40 °C. In addition, there is a relationship between temperature, light, and nutrients to increase the production of lipids of interest for biofuel production. With the advancement of technological tools, researchers can genetically manipulate these bacteria to increase the production of desired molecules, such as lipids or alcohol, by introducing genes that encode enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these molecules. Once the cyanobacteria have been modified to produce the desired molecules, they can be cultivated in large-scale bioreactors and harvested for further processing. However, despite the great potential of cyanobacteria-based biofuel production, there are still challenges to be overcome. These include improving the efficiency and scalability of the production process, optimizing the composition of the produced biofuels, and reducing production costs. With continuous research and development, biofuels produced using cyanobacteria can play a significant role in meeting a substantial portion of the high energy demand.

Keywords

• Cyanobacteria
• Biofuel
• Optimization
• Genetic engineering
• Bioreactors