Microalgal Biotechnology: Bioprospecting Microalgae for Functional Metabolites Towards Commercial and Sustainable Applications

Microalgae are a valuable resource of carbon materials that may be used in biofuels, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and health supplements. Still, there are tremendous challenges in the microalgae production process, such as mass cultivation, strain improvement, biomass disruption, and reprocessing of nutrients and water that have been the encumbering microalgal industry in several ways. Microalgal biotechnology has the capability to introduce remarkable breakthroughs and innovations. This volume brings together current advancements in the field of microalgal biotechnology to provide understanding of the fundamentals and progress of the industry-oriented technologies.

The volume covers biofuel production and its technical challenges; current trends of microalgae in agriculture, aquaculture and food biotechnology; market space; biosafety and other regulatory issues; and sustainability of microalgal products. The volume first provides insight into desmids and other conjugating algae along with prospective trends of diatoms. It then goes on to explore the commercial applications of microalgae that take advantage of their bioactive compounds, natural colorants, and functional metabolites. The role of microalgae in agriculture, aquaculture, and the food sector are discussed, and tools from genome manipulation to bioprocess engineering are studied. Several chapters focus on future prospects of biofuel and biodiesel production for environmental and economic viability.

The key features of the book:

• Presents the role of microalgae in various industries including food, agriculture, aquaculture, biofuel, and metabolites
• Shows the historical and prospective use of microalgae elements for economic and ecological benefits
• Explains the integrated technologies for massive production of microalgae-derived products
• Includes the various industrial case studies to improve the sustainable production of microalgae products
• Discusses current developments and confronts in microalgae bioprocessing

Microalgal Biotechnology: Bioprospecting Microalgae for Functional Metabolites towards Commercial and Sustainable Applications will be a useful reference for academicians, researchers, industry professionals, postgraduate students, and policymakers who are interested in future prospects of microalgae commercialization.