Molecular-level lipid studies on marine microphytobenthic biofilms: a mini-review

Microphytobenthic biofilms in tidal flats are globally extensive microbial ecosystems that play crucial roles in supporting benthic and seabird diversity and in coastal carbon cycling. Despite their importance and global extent, few studies have measured the molecular composition and biotechnological potential of these biofilms. A systematic and bibliometric approach was performed to curate and analyse peer-reviewed original research articles from this perspective. Network visualization highlighted the core focus for molecular-level studies on microphytobenthic biofilms was gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of major fatty acids and their use as tracers for ecological, diet and biogeochemical purposes. 9Z-hexadecenoic acid (C16:1n-7), 5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z, 17Z-eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3)) and tetradecanoic acid (C14:0) were the major fatty acid species common to MPB across all studies. However, few studies to date have used a comprehensive untargeted mass spectrometric approach and none have combined these approaches with assessing the functional role of lipids and their biotechnological application by bioactivity screening. The review highlights the need such work including more representative studies globally. The sensitivity of these biofilms to anthropogenic pollution highlights the urgency of research on this topic and that biodiscovery should be underpinned by environmental protection and circular economy principles.