Novel technologies for microalgae cultivation and subsequent lipid extraction

A futher attractive scientific challenge to face this problem is the genetic manipulation of existing strains in order to increase their photosynthetic efficiency and/or to regulate their metabolism in order to achieve an abundant production of lipids coupled with high biomass accumulation (Leà³n-Baà±ares et al., 2004). Finally the identification of novel techniques to improve lipid extraction from microalgae is one of the main target to be achieved in order to make the technology economically sustainable. Along these lines the present PhD activity has been focused on two different lines of research which share the common target of identifying suitable strategies to increase the lipid productivity of the current microalgal technology. Specifically, in the first line of activity, a novel cell disruption technique for the enhancement of lipid extraction yields from C. Vulgaris is proposed. In the second line of activity the exploitation of iron-based strategies to increase lipid synthesis in C. Vulgaris, is investigated