Mixotrophic culture of microalgae: A review

Resumen

Despite the increasing relevance of microalgae in science and industry in the last few decades, a great part of their application still faces various bottlenecks that prevent their derivatives from making a greater contribution to the economy and society. Among cultivation strategies, mixotrophic culture has emerged as a promising approach to enhance biomass productivity and metabolite synthesis. This review outlines the fundamentals of metabolic mixotrophy in microalgae, focusing on key factors influencing growth and productivity, as well as the coupling of mixotrophic cultivation and phycoremediation applications, such as wastewater treatment, solid waste recycling and flue gas. Additionally, it briefly discusses the sustainable production of value-added biomass for use as biofertilizers, biofuels, in aquaculture, and pigment production within   the context of circular economy.