Algal biotechnology refers to the application of microalgae and macroalgae, or their derivatives, to synthesize or modify products or processes for specific use. Nowadays, algae are universally acknowledged as sustainable producers for diverse and structurally complex bioactive compounds, with great potential for human and environmental welfares. Over the past few years, various bioactive compounds have been extracted from algae with encouraged expansion of seaweed-derived products for commercial use, although many of these algal resources remain under-explored. Beyond their high-value bioactive compounds, algae as biomass or extracts has also proved to be promising in the nanotechnology field, as being environmentally benign cell factories for the rapid and effective green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). By-products of algal metabolism such as pigments and antioxidants can efficiently produce metallic, bimetallic, or metal oxide nanoparticles by reducing, capping, and stabilizing metal precursors. NPs fabricated from various algal sources showed vast applications in many fields including medicinal, environmental, bioremediation, fertilizers, biosensors, food packaging, and many others to be further explored.
Micro- and macroalgae possess different and distinctive metabolic pathways, and can produce specific secondary metabolites with many potent biological activity such as antioxidant, anti-predator, allelopathic, pest control, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, anticancer, photo-protective, and antifouling activities. Since algae are very diverse organisms and can acclimatize to a wide range of environmental stress conditions, the possibilities to discover novel and uncharted bioactive metabolites are high with interesting properties for biotechnological applications.
Algae have many unique properties such as rapid growth rate, high biomass productivity, and capacity for accumulation and reduction of mineral ions. Although still in its infancy, green synthesis of NPs by algae are successfully utilized in many lifestyle applications, with nontoxic quality over the conventionally integrated NPs. Algal biomass of Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta-Phaeophyceae and Rhodophyta, or their natural metabolites, have been verified as nano-machineries of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and several other metallic NPs through intracellular and extracellular green synthesis. Apart from the production process, nanotechnology is also used in the pre-treatment procedure to improve the digestibility of biomass substrates, leading to enhanced biofuel production.
The search for isolating and identifying novel high-value added products from new or unexplored algal species and new or improved applications remains a target of this Research Topic. Furthermore, the Topic focuses on exploring the current efforts, challenges and prospects for implementing these organisms as “green nanotechnology factories” to create and develop opportunities for algal biotechnology.
The Guest Editors call researchers to submit their latest study findings and/or review articles in this area, participating in this Research Topic by submitting interesting papers presenting momentous advances in this field.
In this Research Topic, we welcome submitting original research articles or reviews papers (but not limited) to the following topics:
• Identifying species/strains with the highest potential of novel natural products production
• Isolation and identification of new bioactive compounds from algae
• Optimising the algal growth conditions for deriving high-value added products
• Applications of algal-derived secondary metabolites in several human beneficial fields
• Integration of algal bioactive compounds in biotechnological applications
• Exploring new species/strains for metallic nanoparticles synthesis with potential applications
• Investigating of algal-derived extracts, biomass and NPs for new applications in the fields of medicine, pharmaceutics, agriculture etc
• Natural nanoparticles (NPs) in the fields of biofuels and waste management
• Studying the mechanism of synthesis and kinetics of NPs production using algae for large-scale production
• Ecotoxicology and management assessment of the algal-derived NPs
Algal biotechnology refers to the application of microalgae and macroalgae, or their derivatives, to synthesize or modify products or processes for specific use. Nowadays, algae are universally acknowledged as sustainable producers for diverse and structurally complex bioactive compounds, with great potential for human and environmental welfares. Over the past few years, various bioactive compounds have been extracted from algae with encouraged expansion of seaweed-derived products for commercial use, although many of these algal resources remain under-explored. Beyond their high-value bioactive compounds, algae as biomass or extracts has also proved to be promising in the nanotechnology field, as being environmentally benign cell factories for the rapid and effective green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). By-products of algal metabolism such as pigments and antioxidants can efficiently produce metallic, bimetallic, or metal oxide nanoparticles by reducing, capping, and stabilizing metal precursors. NPs fabricated from various algal sources showed vast applications in many fields including medicinal, environmental, bioremediation, fertilizers, biosensors, food packaging, and many others to be further explored.
Micro- and macroalgae possess different and distinctive metabolic pathways, and can produce specific secondary metabolites with many potent biological activity such as antioxidant, anti-predator, allelopathic, pest control, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, anticancer, photo-protective, and antifouling activities. Since algae are very diverse organisms and can acclimatize to a wide range of environmental stress conditions, the possibilities to discover novel and uncharted bioactive metabolites are high with interesting properties for biotechnological applications.
Algae have many unique properties such as rapid growth rate, high biomass productivity, and capacity for accumulation and reduction of mineral ions. Although still in its infancy, green synthesis of NPs by algae are successfully utilized in many lifestyle applications, with nontoxic quality over the conventionally integrated NPs. Algal biomass of Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta-Phaeophyceae and Rhodophyta, or their natural metabolites, have been verified as nano-machineries of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and several other metallic NPs through intracellular and extracellular green synthesis. Apart from the production process, nanotechnology is also used in the pre-treatment procedure to improve the digestibility of biomass substrates, leading to enhanced biofuel production.
The search for isolating and identifying novel high-value added products from new or unexplored algal species and new or improved applications remains a target of this Research Topic. Furthermore, the Topic focuses on exploring the current efforts, challenges and prospects for implementing these organisms as “green nanotechnology factories” to create and develop opportunities for algal biotechnology.
The Guest Editors call researchers to submit their latest study findings and/or review articles in this area, participating in this Research Topic by submitting interesting papers presenting momentous advances in this field.
In this Research Topic, we welcome submitting original research articles or reviews papers (but not limited) to the following topics:
• Identifying species/strains with the highest potential of novel natural products production
• Isolation and identification of new bioactive compounds from algae
• Optimising the algal growth conditions for deriving high-value added products
• Applications of algal-derived secondary metabolites in several human beneficial fields
• Integration of algal bioactive compounds in biotechnological applications
• Exploring new species/strains for metallic nanoparticles synthesis with potential applications
• Investigating of algal-derived extracts, biomass and NPs for new applications in the fields of medicine, pharmaceutics, agriculture etc
• Natural nanoparticles (NPs) in the fields of biofuels and waste management
• Studying the mechanism of synthesis and kinetics of NPs production using algae for large-scale production
• Ecotoxicology and management assessment of the algal-derived NPs
