6. Conclusion: latest advances

Historically speaking, biorefining microalgae and cyanobacteria is still very recent compared to the refining of other raw materials (such as oil, milk or rapeseed). Of course, there's still a lot of work to be done. The scope for using these photosynthetic microorganisms is vast, with exciting prospects for applications in a wide variety of fields (food, energy, health, cosmetics, agriculture, etc.) motivating these developments. Scientific research into the biorefining of microalgae, and more broadly of bioresources, is very dynamic, and many innovations can be expected in the coming years. The challenge will be not only to develop expertise in each unit operation dealing with this new resource, but also to build an integrative approach, bringing together specialists in cultivation and biorefinery, absolutely essential for valorizing this so varied and adaptable biomass, and for successfully...