A Perspective on the Biotechnological Potential of Microalgae

Microalgae are the untapped resource with more than 25,000 species of which only 15 are in use. In recent years, microalgal culture technology is a business oriented line owing to their different practical applications. Innovative processes and products have been introduced in microalgal biotechnolo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical reviews in microbiology 2008, Vol.34 (2), p.77-88
Main Authors: Raja, R., Hemaiswarya, S., Kumar, N. Ashok, Sridhar, S., Rengasamy, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquaculture
Astaxanthin
Biodegradation, Environmental
Bioelectric Energy Sources
Biofuel
Biological Products - economics
Biological Products - pharmacology
Biomass
Biotechnology - economics
Botryococcus
Drug Industry
Eukaryota - chemistry
Eukaryota - genetics
Eukaryota - growth & development
Eukaryota - metabolism
Fertilizers
Food Industry
Genetic Engineering
Industrial Waste
Infection - drug therapy
Infection - microbiology
Infection - virology
Microalgae
β-carotene
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Summary:Microalgae are the untapped resource with more than 25,000 species of which only 15 are in use. In recent years, microalgal culture technology is a business oriented line owing to their different practical applications. Innovative processes and products have been introduced in microalgal biotechnology to produce vitamins, proteins, cosmetics, and health foods. For most of these applications, the market is still developing and the biotechnological use of microalgae will extend into new areas. With the development of sophisticated culture and screening techniques, microalgal biotechnology can meet the challenging demands of both the food and pharmaceutical industries. Genetic improvement should also play an important role in the future development of algal industries. Based on the preliminary research, several therapeutic benefits have been claimed for commercially produced microalgae including AIDS, cancer, and Cerebro vascular diseases. In near future, algal biomass will serve as a renewable energy source through commercial production of hydrocarbon by Botryococcus throughout the world.
ISSN:1040-841X
1549-7828
DOI:10.1080/10408410802086783