Global climate change, dwindling supplies, and rising prices of
fossil fuels in the past decade have led to a growing interest in
biodiesel as a sustainable alternative.
Traditionally, biodiesel is mainly produced from land-based crops, such as rapeseed, corn,
soybean, palm, and coconut. However, the production of
biodiesel is carried out at very low capacities due to limited
supply of raw material. Moreover, large-scale cultivation of
these energy crops could consume valuable agricultural
resources, such as arable land and freshwater.1,2 Next
generation microalgal biodiesel has attracted intensive attention
as a promising source of renewable energy. Microalgae can
grow rapidly and accumulate large quantities of lipids
(approximately 20−50% of the dry weight) compared to
those of terrestrial plants. Additionally, microalgae can be
cultured on nonarable, nutrient-poor land, avoiding competition
for agricultural land with conventional crops