Microalgal biorefineries: Advancement in machine learning tools for sustainable biofuel production and value-added products recovery

Abstract

The microalgae can be converted into biofuels, biochemicals, and bioactive compounds in a biorefinery. Recently, designing and executing more viable and sustainable biofuel production from microalgal biomass is one of the vital challenges in the development of biorefinery. Scalable cultivation of microalgae is mandatory for commercializing and industrializing the biorefinery. The intrinsic complication in cultivation of microalgae is the physiological and operational factors that renders challenging impact to enable a smooth and profitable operation. However, this aim can only be successful via a simulation prospect. Machine learning tools provides advanced approaches for evaluating, predicting, and controlling uncertainties in microalgal biorefinery for sustainable biofuel production. The present review provides a critical evaluation of the most progressing machine learning tools that validate a potential to be employed in microalgal biorefinery. These tools are highly potential for their extensive evaluation on microalgal screening and classification. However, the application of these tools for optimization of microalgal biomass cultivation in industries in order to increase the biomass production, is still in its initial stages. Integrated hybrid machine learning tools can aid the industries to function efficiently with least resources. Some of the challenges, and perspectives of machine learning tools are discussed. Besides, future prospects are also emphasized. Though, most of the research reports on machine learning tools are not appropriate to gather generalized information, standard protocols and strategies must be developed to design generalized machine learning tools. On a whole, this review offers a perspective information about digitalized microalgal exploitation in a microalgal biorefinery.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Biofuel; Biorefinery; Machine learning; Microalgal biomass.