Carla SANDOVAL-GUANO1, Santiago ZÁRATE-BACA1, Andrea CHILIQUINGA1, Sania ORTEGA-ANDRADE1, Vincenzo LONGO2
1eCIER Research Group, Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Av. 17 de Julio 5–21 y Gral. José María Córdova, Ibarra 100150, Ecuador
2Institute of Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
email: casandoval@utn.edu.ec
Keywords: Andean high-altitude microalgae, Lakes, Lagoons, Blue Biotechnology, Photobioreactor, Bioeconomy, Biodiversity.
Abstract
Andean High-altitude microalgae represent a distinct extremophilic biodiversity shaped by intense UV radiation, low nutrient availability, and marked temperature fluctuations. These environmental pressures have generated phylogenetically diverse communities with exceptional physiological resilience, particularly among genera such as Chlamydomonas, Scenedesmus, Chlorella, and Synedra. Their ecological adaptations make them strong candidates for biotechnological development. High-altitude species synthesize metabolites with important industrial value, including UV-protective mycosporine-like amino acids, bioactive polysaccharides with cryoprotective and immunomodulatory functions, and high-value pigments such as lutein and astaxanthin. Many also accumulate stress-induced lipids suitable for biofuel production, underscoring their metabolic versatility under fluctuating conditions. Efforts to cultivate these microalgae increasingly rely on specialized photobioreactors, extremophile-optimized media, and adaptive laboratory evolution to enhance productivity and metabolite yield. Resulting applications are focused on cosmetics, nutraceuticals, bioremediation agents, sustainable pigments, and renewable energy feedstocks, turning these species into noble candidates for further industrial applications. However, substantial research gaps remain. Genomic and metabolomic resources are limited, constraining pathway engineering and strain improvement. Standardized cultivation methodologies are still lacking, and ecological datasets necessary to link environmental drivers with metabolic expression remain incomplete. Future work integrating multi-omics and scalability of the cultivation and harvesting processes will be essential to fully exploit the biotechnological potential of Andean high-altitude microalgae while supporting conservation of their native habitats.
pdf, Academia Edu, ICI COPERNICUS , Zendo , Google Scholar, SRNN, OpenAIRE
Received: 10 Oct. 2025, Revised: 10 Nov. 2025, Accepted: 10 Nov. 2025, Published: 16 December 2025
Citation
SANDOVAL-GUANO, C., ZÁRATE-BACA, S., Choloquinga, A., ORTEGA-ANDRADE, S., & Longo, V. (2025). HIGH-ALTITUDE MICROALGAE AS NOVEL BIOFACTORIES: ADAPTATION STRATEGIES, USES, AND BARRIERS TO APPLICATION IN ECUADOR. Pescuitul Și Acvacultura ( Fishing and Aqvaculture), 2(4), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18031362
