The market for algal-based biochemicals is growing due to its ability to provide,
irrespective of the season and reason, cheaper feedstocks of industrial importance, shifting the dependency from conventional sources. Literature states that as many as about 15,000 novel bioactive compounds can be extracted from algal biomass. The development of bioprocesses for algal bioactive compounds of major relevance to industries that could be either high-value-low-yield or low-value-high-yield has been in trend for the last few decades.

This Research Topic on algal-based biorefinery will be a pivotal opportunity to contribute to the advancement of cost-effective, environment-friendly, and sustainable biofuels and biochemical production.

The current Research Topic will address the production of algal-based chemicals of industrial importance in terms of the recent advances, challenges, breakthroughs, and trends of applications for public health and environmental sustainability. Applications of algal-derived biochemicals are now gaining attention for nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, bioplastics, biopolymers, biofuels, and several other commercially valued compounds. This Research Topic aims to compile a comprehensive knowledge of several algal-based biochemicals, particularly in their category as – carotenoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, fatty acids, biopolymers, and other secondary metabolites. Equally important is the utilisation of residual biomass for biochar or other applications. This aspect will be highlighted in this issue to underscore the pressing need for the holistic utilisation of biobased resources. It's not just about what we produce, but also about how we manage and utilize what's left over. So, the goal is to set a zero-waste approach for algal-based biofuels and biochemical production industries.

Further, to address the sustainability challenges of algal-based industries, the proposed collection will include articles on ‘Algal-based wastewater treatment methods or phycoremediation and resource recovery strategies. The collection will also delve into the techno-economic challenges, recent trends, and developments towards sustainable algal biochemical production. This emphasis on sustainability is not just a trend, but a necessity in research and development efforts.

We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:

• Process development on algal-based biochemical extraction- Research

• Carotenoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, fatty acids, biopolymers, and other secondary

metabolites from algae biomass- Research

• Development of algae biomass as feedstock for commercially valued compounds- Research and review

• Simultaneous extraction of multiple products from the same algal biomass- Research

• Algal-derived biochar for environmental applications- Research

• Bioactive compounds from algae: Biosynthetic pathways and their applications- Research, review, and perspective articles

• Algal nutraceuticals as a prospective therapeutic agent for different diseases- Research, review, and perspective articles

• Phycoremediation- Research and Review

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Frontiers in Chemical Engineering

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