Sustainable Downstream Processing of Microalgae for Industrial Application

Apart from bio-fuels, the microalgae synthesize many bio-molecules such as pigments (e.g., chlorophyll, carotenoid), protein (e.g., lectin, phycobiliprotein), and carbohydrates (e.g., agar, carrageenan, alginate, fucodian), which are available in the various forms of microalgal products. Therefore, developing a strategy for large-scale production of bio-fuels using microalgal biomass with co-production of value-added macromolecules is essential. This strategy will eventually make both bio-based products and bioenergy economically viable. With these obstacles in mind, without a doubt, there is a substantial scope for the improvement in the economics of microalgal bio-fuels and other value-added coproducts. Hence, this book focuses on i) biomolecules from microalgae for commercial production, ii) a sustainable approach for industrial-scale operations, and iii) optimized downstream processing of microalgae. Each of these topics is presented as an individual section and composed of several chapters written by renounced academiciansand industry experts from all over the globe. The individual chapters are rich in up-to-date research progress and provide comprehensive information about the past and current research in a particular field with a guideline for the upcoming investigators. It may be noted that in this edition, a significant emphasis has been given to the industry experts who have experience in dealing with the shortcomings of the microalgal products. The industry experts contributed around half of the book chapters.