Co-Cultivation of Fungi and Microalgae for Biotechnology

The review examines the results of studies of the last decade on the co-cultivation of fungi and microalgae. It outlines the mechanisms of interaction between fungi and microscopic algae during associative cultivation and briefly discusses the methods for the formation of flocs. Key importance for biotechnology is the ability of fungi and algae to form granules (floccules), which are easy to separate from the culture liquid. The synergistic effect of these relationships results in a higher level of biomass accumulation, synthesis of lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and other metabolites, as well as the removal of various pollutants from wastewater. By selecting specific strains and optimizing cultivation conditions, it is possible to enhance the composition of the resulting products. So far, mostly successful laboratory experiments have been carried out in this direction, which need to be expanded and transferred to production projects. For large-scale application of these systems, it is necessary to continue research into the mechanisms of interaction between fungi and microalgae, their metabolism, regulation of biosynthetic processes using modern methods of metabolomics and proteomics, and to develop engineering solutions for their cultivation.