Mathematical modeling of unicellular microalgae and cyanobacteria metabolism for biofuel production

• Mathematical modeling can help to better understand microalgae metabolism.
• A better understanding of metabolism can guide optimization of biofuels production.
• The sources of energy and carbon are different, making metabolic modeling nonstandard.
• Permanent light fluctuation hampers the use of classical tools.

The conversion of microalgae lipids and cyanobacteria carbohydrates into biofuels appears to be a promising source of renewable energy. This requires a thorough understanding of their carbon metabolism, supported by mathematical models, in order to optimize biofuel production. However, unlike heterotrophic microorganisms that utilize the same substrate as sources of energy and carbon, photoautotrophic microorganisms require light for energy and CO2 as carbon source. Furthermore, they are submitted to permanent fluctuating light environments due to outdoor cultivation or mixing inducing a flashing effect. Although, modeling these nonstandard organisms is a major challenge for which classical tools are often inadequate, this step remains a prerequisite towards efficient optimization of outdoor biofuel production at an industrial scale.

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