Rise in human population and gradual decline in fossil fuels are increasing the demand for fuels and causing an upsurge in fuel prices and global warming. Concomitantly, consumers have raised their health awareness by taking various supplements, e.g. omega-3 fatty acids, thus calling for advanced nutraceuticals. Both issues are addressed by recent research on microalgae, which can be easily cultivated to produce lipidic biofuels and active drugs. Here, we reviewed the types and biosynthesis of microalgal lipids. We discuss genetic engineering and manipulation of cultivation conditions for enhancing lipid production. We present techniques for lipid extraction, with focus on green techniques. We also discuss the technical and economic challenges in manufacturing microalgae-based biofuels and other bioproducts at the industrial scale. Last, the market potentials and further research directions for future commercialization of microalgae lipids are discussed.

人口的增长和矿物燃料的逐步减少正在增加对燃料的需求，并导致燃料价格和全球变暖的高涨。伴随地，消费者通过服用各种补充剂（例如omega-3脂肪酸）提高了健康意识，因此需要高级保健食品。最近对微藻的研究解决了这两个问题，可以很容易地培养它们以生产脂质生物燃料和活性药物。在这里，我们审查了微藻类脂质的类型和生物合成。我们讨论了遗传工程和培养条件的操纵，以提高脂质的生产。我们介绍脂质提取技术，重点是绿色技术。我们还将讨论在工业规模上生产微藻类生物燃料和其他生物产品的技术和经济挑战。持续，