Oleaginous microalgae Nannochloropsis as a new model for biofuel production: Review & analysis

Nannochloropsis is attracting renewed interest due to member species' potential application as sustainable feedstocks in biofuel production and high-value compounds. This genus is rapidly emerging as a model for research on algal biofuel production as it is predicted to have great potential in the bioenergy sector. The handful of known species in this genus has been heavily investigated for fuel purposes owing to their high lipid content, biomass production and highly efficient homologous recombination system. This review reveals advances in the aspects of Nannochloropsis growth, cultivation systems, harvesting and biorefinery technologies associated with lipid production (mainly neutral lipids) over the past few years. We also present recent advances in high-throughput techniques that generate highly accurate datasets and thus advanced improvement in lipid production. Here, we aim to provide useful information to further the development of Nannochloropsis as a cost-effective biofuel feedstock.