The focus on biodiesel research has shown a tremendous growth over the last few years. Several microbial and plant sources are being explored for the sustainable biodiesel production to replace the petroleum diesel. Conventional methods of biodiesel production have several limitations related to yield and quality, which led to development of new engineering strategies to improve the biodiesel production in plants, and microorganisms. Substantial progress in utilizing algae, yeast, and Escherichia coli for the renewable production of biodiesel feedstock via genetic engineering of fatty acid metabolic pathways has been reported in the past few years. However, in most of the cases, the successful commercialization of such engineering strategies for sustainable biodiesel production is yet to be seen. This paper systematically presents the drawbacks in the conventional methods for biodiesel production and an exhaustive review on the present status of research in genetic engineering strategies for production of biodiesel in plants, and microorganisms. Further, we summarize the technical challenges need to be tackled to make genetic engineering technology economically sustainable. Finally, the need and prospects of genetic engineering technology for the sustainable biodiesel production and the recommendations for the future research are discussed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12033-015-9869-y | DOI Listing |
BMC Chem
January 2025
Petroleum Application Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Cairo, 11727, Egypt.
The depletion of fossil fuels and growing environmental concerns necessitate the exploration of renewable energy sources. Biodiesel, a promising alternative fuel derived from sustainable feedstock, has attracted considerable attention. This study investigates the catalytic esterification of oleic acid, a readily available fatty acid, with ethanol for biodiesel production using a novel heterogeneous catalyst, ZrO/AlO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
January 2025
School of Petrochemical Engineering & Environment, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316000, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Harbor Oil & Gas Storage and Transportation Technology, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Environmental Pollution Control, Zhoushan, 316000, China. Electronic address:
The lack of cost-effective nutrient sources and harvesting methods is currently a major obstacle to the production of sustainable biofuels from microalgae. In this study, Chlorella pyrenoidosa was cultured with saline wastewater in a stirred photobioreactor, and lipid-rich flocculent microalgae particles were successfully constructed. As the influent salinity of the photobioreactor increased from 0% to 3%, the particle size and sedimentation rate of flocculent microalgae particles gradually increased, and the lipid accumulation of microalgae also increased gradually.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
January 2025
Biofuel Laboratory, Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Assam, 784028, India.
Agro-processing industries generate a substantial quantity of biomass wastes. Conversion of these wastes into valuable material could be profitable considering both environmental and economic aspects. Among various biomass conversion methods, hydrothermal conversion can be used for co-production of biofuel and other valuable materials like carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and activated carbons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Air Waste Manag Assoc
January 2025
Center for Applied Climate Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.
Densification of biomass through pelletizing offers a promising approach to producing clean biofuels from renewable resources. This study, which investigates the impact of additive blends on wheat straw pellet making and upgrading the physiochemical properties, has revealed exciting possibilities. Five additives, including sawdust (SD), bentonite clay (BC), corn starch (S), crude glycerol (CG), and biochar (BioC), were chosen for this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor Bharu, Malaysia.
As the demand for sustainable energy sources intensifies, biodiesel emerges as a compelling renewable alternative to petroleum-based fuels. Leveraging waste cooking oil (WCO) as a feedstock not only offers an environmentally friendly fuel source but also addresses waste disposal issues. However, biodiesel production from WCO faces challenges, particularly due to its high free fatty acid (FFA) content, which can hinder efficient conversion and lead to soap formation in traditional alkaline-catalysed processes.
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