Isolation and characterization of potential tropical oleaginous microalgae for biofuel production

Recent volatility in crude oil prices attributed to increase demand and limited resources, tied with the urge to reduce pollutant emissions and greenhouse gases, have created a major focus in the production of sustainable biofuel. As one of the promising feedstocks, microalgae appeared to be a new source of renewable biofuel that is capable of meeting the global demand for transport fuel. Four green microalgae morphologically identified as Staurastrum sp., Scenedesmus sp., Desmodesmus sp., and Ankistrodesmus sp. were isolated from Kuala Selangor Nature Park and Hulu Langat River, Selangor. The intracellular lipid bodies of the microalgae were stained with BODIPY 493/503 for the screening of the potential microalgae for biofuel production. From the staining, more lipid bodies can be seen from Scenedesmus sp. compared to the other three isolated microalgae species