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Review
. 2025 Aug:430:132547.
doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132547. Epub 2025 Apr 15.

Whole cell microalgae: Potential to transform industry waste into sustainable ruminant feed

Kira J Picknell  1 , Nature Poddar  2 , Janice I McCauley  3 , Alexandre V Chaves  4 , Peter J Ralph  5
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Whole cell microalgae: Potential to transform industry waste into sustainable ruminant feed

Kira J Picknell et al. Bioresour Technol. 2025 Aug.
Free article

Abstract

Microalgae offer an innovative solution for utilizing industrial waste to produce sustainable ruminant feed. With strong carbon capture capabilities, they play a vital role in biological carbon capture and utilization. Advances in biotechnology enable the use of industrial waste streams, offering a pathway to reducing carbon emissions and cultivation costs. Extensive research highlights microalgae's nutritional and anti-methanogenic benefits for ruminants, yet they remain commercially unutilized in feed. To address cultivation limitations, this review explores advancements in algae carbon capture biotechnology and proposes brewery waste to support algae cultivation. In addition, the challenges and bottlenecks that remain to be overcome for future commercial translation of this strategy are presented. This review establishes a theoretical solution for integrating microalgae into high-emission industries like breweries and utilization of algae biomass to reduce agricultural emissions.

Keywords: Algae Bioeconomy; Carbon capture; Circularity; Methane; Productivity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Prof. Peter Ralph reports financial support was provided by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). Prof. Peter Ralph reports financial support was provided by Young Henrys Brewing Company Pty Ltd. Prof. Peter Ralph has patent Processes for Carbon Dioxide Capture pending to Young Henrys Brewing Company Pty Ltd. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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