Art of Algae

Emerging economies and the growing world population rely heavily on the natural resources of the earth.  Therefore sustainable production of food and energy are necessary if we do not want to exploit all the available natural resources. In addition, there is a need for an alternative for the fossil fuels. Currently the society focuses on the sustainable production and efficient use of energy.

One such alternative is the “Microalgae”, also called phytoplankton by biologists. They are sunlight-driven cell factories that convert carbon dioxide to various products including biofuels, foods, feeds and high-value bioactives.  These photosynthetic microorganisms are not only suitable for environmentally friendly production of many commodities, can also be used in bioremediation applications in order to achieve the eco-friendly environment for the living forms.

The cultivation of microalgae can make an important contribution for the development of sustainable society or biobased economy. Microalgae are very common (hundreds of thousands species exist) and occur both in freshwater and seawater where they form the basis for most food chains. They are chosen according to nutritional value, easy cultivation, size and type of cell wall for cultivation. Microalgae can utilize carbon dioxide from flue gases, residual water of agro-industrial companies and even diluted digestate from manure for carbon source. In return they produce valuable raw materials including oil, proteins, starch, anti-oxidants and pigments.

Algae are promising waste converters to value added products and recyclers having principal utilizations in

• Alimentary

• Cosmetic

• Pharmaceutical

• Energy

• Bioremediation