ReviewMicroorganisms2026
Filamentous Algae for Wastewater Circularity: A Review of Wastewater Treatment, Resource Recovery, and Biorefinery Opportunities.
Review in Microorganisms, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Wastewater treatment is undergoing a transition from pollutant removal toward resource recovery, creating opportunities to integrate environmental remediation with circular bioeconomy principles. Filamentous algae have attracted increasing attention as multifunctional biological platforms because their attached growth habit facilitates biomass harvesting while supporting nutrient recovery and biomass valorization. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the roles of filamentous algae in wastewater treatment, with emphasis on nutrient and contaminant removal, biomass production, and the generation of bioenergy, biofertilizers, aquafeeds, and cellulose-based biomaterials. It highlights how filamentous algae differ from conventional suspended microalgae through improved biomass retention, simpler harvesting, and compatibility with attached-growth systems such as algal turf scrubbers and biofilm reactors. The review also examines the ecological interactions between filamentous algae and associated microbial communities that underpin nutrient cycling and treatment performance. Beyond wastewater treatment, it critically evaluates the opportunities and challenges associated with downstream biomass valorization, including biofuel production and the recovery of high-value products within integrated biorefinery frameworks. In addition, the review discusses the principal barriers to large-scale implementation, including limited field-scale validation, variability in biomass quality, contaminant safety, downstream processing requirements, regulatory uncertainty, and the need for comprehensive techno-economic and environmental assessments. Finally, it highlights emerging research directions involving systems biology, advanced process monitoring, artificial intelligence-assisted process control, and integrated biorefinery concepts that may support future development. By integrating biological, engineering, and sustainability perspectives, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the potential of filamentous algae to support resilient wastewater treatment systems and accelerate the transition toward circular resource management.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.