ABSTRACT
Important advantages of microalgae-based biofuels over first generation biofuels include algae’s greater solar energy conversion efficiency compared to land plants [1], the ability of oleaginous microalgae to utilize non-arable land and saline or waste-water, and their high content of energy dense neutral lipids that can be readily transesterified to produce biodiesel [2,3]. Under stress conditions such as nutrient deprivation or high light intensity, several species of oleaginous microalgae can alter lipid biosynthetic pathways to produce intracellular total lipid contents between 30 to 60% of dry cell weight (DCW) [4]. Triacylglycerides (TAGs) are the dominant form of lipids produced under these conditions. The excess production of TAGs in microalgae is thought to play a role in carbon and energy storage and functions as part of the cell’s stress response [5].
