Molecular Soil Biology 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 1-11 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 1 Research Article Open Access Variation Patterns and Influencing Factors of Microalgal Biomass under Abiotic Stress Xu Liu*, Zeyu Jin*, Haoda Liu, Yuanyuan Bu Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China * Contributed equally, and were the co-first authors of this paper Corresponding email: yuanyuanbu@nefu.edu.cn Molecular Soil Biology, 2026, Vol.17, No.1 doi: 10.5376/msb.2026.17.0001 Received: 17 Dec., 2025 Accepted: 20 Jan., 2026 Published: 06 Feb., 2026 Copyright © 2026 Liu et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Liu X., Jin Z.Y., Liu H.D., and Bu Y.Y., 2026, Variation patterns and influencing factors of microalgal biomass under abiotic stress, Molecular Soil Biology, 17(1): 1-11 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2026.17.0001) Abstract To investigate the effects of EDTA-Ca and EDTA-Fe on microalgal biomass accumulation, this study used the salt-tolerant strain SA-2, isolated and screened from soda-alkali soil in Anda, Heilongjiang Province. SA-2 was treated with different concentrations of EDTA-Ca and EDTA-Fe to explore the effects of metal chelator–mediated micronutrient regulation on its growth and physiological–biochemical characteristics.The results showed that when the concentration of EDTA-Ca was 0.3 mg/L or that of EDTA-Fe was 0.2 mg/L, both the cell density and dry weight of SA-2 reached their highest levels, indicating optimal growth. At these concentrations, the lipid, chlorophyll, carbohydrate, and protein contents of the microalgae also reached their maximum values.This study identifies the optimal concentrations of EDTA-Ca and EDTA-Fe that promote the growth and biomass accumulation of SA-2, providing experimental evidence and theoretical guidance for efficient microalgae cultivation and biomass resource utilization. Keywords Microalgae; EDTA-Ca; EDTA-Fe; Biomass content 1 Introduction Against the backdrop of global ecological change and increasing resource demands, microalgae have received widespread attention as a biomass resource with tremendous potential. Microalgae are a group of algae that are widely distributed on land and in aquatic environments, microscopic in size, and whose morphology can only be distinguished under a microscope. They can utilize light, carbon dioxide, and water to carry out photosynthesis, efficiently producing a variety of functional bioactive substances, including proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and pigments.Microalgae are capable of growing in diverse environments and exhibit rapid growth rates and high biomass accumulation. Owing to their rich nutritional composition and diverse functional components, microalgae show broad application prospects in the field of biological resource development (Fabris et al., 2020). As an important source of natural compounds, microalgae not only efficiently synthesize biofuels and polysaccharides but also possess the potential for producing high-value-added products. Pigments, essential amino acids, and vitamins contained in their cellular matrix form the basis for their application in the food industry, while their abundance of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids enhances their value in the development of nutritional supplements (Markou and Nerantzis, 2013).These multidimensional utilization characteristics make microalgae a strategically important raw material in sustainable biomanufacturing systems (Shin et al., 2015). EDTA is a widely used chelating agent that forms stable complexes with heavy metals, thereby reducing the toxic effects of heavy metals on plants. Owing to its chelating properties, EDTA is extensively applied in industries such as textiles, papermaking, food processing, medicine, and agriculture for purposes including water softening, boiler descaling, metal de-rusting, electroplating, and the enhanced remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils.However, the widespread use of EDTA has led to its significant accumulation in the environment, posing potential ecological risks. Although EDTA itself is non-toxic at low concentrations, its chemical stability and resistance to biodegradation enable its long-term persistence and accumulation in the environment. Meanwhile,
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