Algae Biotechnology: A Green Light for Engineered Algae

Algae are chlorophyll-containing photosynthetic organisms found everywhere on the earth, such as in the sea, rivers, lakes, soil, in animal, and plants. Algae represent a potential biomass to be explored as a source to develop bioplastics because algal biomass is abundant, fast-growing, and unexploited resource often left to decompose on the shores posing waste problems. Low percentage of lignin and high percentage of carbohydrates make algae an excellent candidate for the synthesis of bioplastics. Blue-green algae are known to contain a huge variety of toxic and bioactive substances. These metabolites were explored as potential anticancer, antiviral, antibiotics, antioxidant, and antiinflammatory drugs. According to recent studies, a representative production of microalgae biomass lies between 15 and 25 tons/ha year. Culturing microalgae for biodiesel production needs the least acreage and holds a vital key feature for effective and powerful land usage. Moreover, microalgae are the superior feedstock for bioethanol production. In addition to their high macromolecule contents, some microalgae contain carbohydrates (generally not cellulose) that can be used as carbon supply or substrate for fermentation.