Micro-macroalgae properties and applications

Abstract Globally, the challenges of fuel price, rapid fuel depletion and climate change have attracted robust researches in algal biomass in recent years. Algae are a very favourable source of renewable and sustainable energy production since they do not compete with the production of food and do not need fresh water sources to thrive. With the recent development on the use of algae as a feedstock for biofuels, there is a growing interest in using algal biomass in an optimum manner, not just to produce biofuels but also to valorise the co-products from the process in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, wastewater treatment as well as in human and animal feed. This article presents current knowledge on different applications on algae (seaweed and microalgae), and future directions to the applications of algae in an optimum manner.