Advances in microalgal research for valorization of industrial wastewater.

This review article focuses on recent updates on remediation of industrial wastewater (IWW) through microalgae cultivation. These include how adding additional supplements of nutrient to some specific IWWs lacking adequate nutrients improving the microalgae growth and remediation simultaneously. Various pretreatments strategy recently employed for IWWs treatment other than dealing with microalgae was discussed. Various nutrient-rich IWW could be utilized directly with additional dilution, supplement of nutrients and without any pretreatment. Recent advances in various approaches and new tools used for cultivation of microalgae on IWW such as two-step cultivation, pre-acclimatization, novel microalgal-bioelectrical systems, integrated catalytic intense pulse-light process, sequencing batch reactor, use of old stabilized algal-bacterial consortium, immobilized microalgae cells, microalgal bacterial membrane photobioreactor, low-intensity magnetic field, BIO_ALGAE simulation tool, etc. are discussed. In addition, biorefinery of microalgal biomass grown on IWW and its end-use applications are reviewed.

Expression of four phosphate transporter genes from Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) in response to mycorrhizal colonization and Pi stress.

Phosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for plant growth and development, and is absorbed in cells with the help of membrane-spanning inorganic phosphate transporter (Pht) protein. Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) also helps in transporting P from the soil to plant and Pht proteins play an important role in it. To understand this phenomenon in Finger Mille plant, we have cloned four Pht genes from Finger millet, which shares the homology with Pht1 protein family of cereals. Expression pattern analysis during the AM infection indicated that EcPT4 gene was AM specific, and its expression was higher in roots where AM colonization percentage was high. The expression level of EcPT1-4 gene under the phosphorous (Pi) stress in seedlings was found to be consistent with its role in acquisition of phosphorus. Homology study of the EcPt proteins with Pht proteins of cereals shows close relationship. The findings of the study indicate that Pht1 family genes from finger millet can serve to be an important resource for the better understanding of phosphorus use efficiency.