Biodiesel from microalgae: Ways for increasing the effectiveness of lipid accumulation by genetic engineering methods

Microalgae are viewed as one of the most perspective producers of lipids for biodiesel production. The review shows the results of researches into increasing the expression of genes directly participating in the biosynthesis of fatty acids. The increase in the effectiveness of solar energy absorption and carbon dioxide fixation influences the microalgae productivity. Blocking the expression of genes that are responsible for starch synthesis changes the balance towards growth in the quantity of lipids in a cell. A change in the length of the carbon backbone chain in fatty acids towards its shortening is important in the technology of biodiesel production. Manipulation processes of lipid catabolism is another way of increasing their quantity. At last, using the methods of transcription analysis allows us to understand deeper the process of intensive accumulation of lipids under stressful conditions for the purpose of directing these processes.