ABSTRACT
Marine microalgae, which are a diverse group of prokaryotic and eukaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms, are the largest primary producers in the marine system. These microorganisms are diversied in terms of size, morphology, life cycle, pigments, etc. The best known microalgae are Cyanophyta (blue-green algae), Chlorophyta (green algae), Bacillariophyta (diatoms), and Dinophyta (dinoagellates). Marine microalgae have been used by humans for a long period as food and as natural compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), pigments, antioxidants, vitamins, and so on (Arakaki et al. 2012; Borowitzka 2013; Gao 1998; Lebeau and Robert 2003; Milledge 2011; Priyadarshani and Rath; Yen et al. 2012). The pharmaceutical industry has also beneted from marine microalgae due to their enormous chemically distinct secondary metabolites (GallardoRodríguez et al. 2012; Guedes et al. 2011; Skjånes et al. 2013). Recently, marine microalgae are widely accepted as promising biofuel producers, which are better than higher plants because of their high productivity and no competition with agriculture. Microalgal lipids, hydrocarbons, starch, and cellulose are considered as precursors in the production of alternative petroleum fuel such as biodiesel, bio-jet fuel, and bioethanol. To regulate microalgal biofuel productivity and quality, the understanding of microalgal carbon xation and the metabolism of biofuel precursors becomes fundamental. To achieve this, studies on microalgal lipids through lipidomic approaches are necessary.
