Manipulating microalgal metabolism
Manipulation of metabolic pathways can redirect cellular function toward the synthesis of preferred products and even expand the processing capabilities of microalgae (Figure 1). One method of coercing microalgae employs specific environmental factors, such as nutrient regimens, to induce desired fluxes in metabolism. As an alternative to manipulating culture conditions, metabolic engineering allows direct control over the organism's cellular machinery through mutagenesis or the introduction of transgenes.