4 Strategies for Bioprospecting Microalgae for Potential Commercial Applications.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Handbook of Microalgal Culture Applied Phycology and Biotechnology; Contents; List of Contributors; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part 1 The Microalgal Cell with Reference to Mass Cultures; 1 The Microalgal Cell; 1.1 INTRODUCTION; 1.2 GROSS MORPHOLOGY; 1.3 SEXUAL REPRODUCTION; 1.4 ULTRASTRUCTURE; 1.4.1 Chloroplast; 1.4.2 Mitochondrion; 1.4.3 Nucleus and mitosis; 1.4.4 Golgi body and endoplasmic reticulum; 1.4.5 Vacuoles; 1.4.6 Flagella and eyespots; 1.4.7 Cell walls and coverings; 1.5 BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS; 1.5.1 Carbohydrates; 1.5.2 Lipids; 1.5.3 Proteins; 1.6 BIODIVERSITY.

1.7 EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY1.7.1 Evolutionary origins; 1.7.2 Cyanobacteria; 1.7.3 Eukaryotic super groups; 1.7.4 Glaucophyte algae; 1.7.5 Green algae; 1.7.6 Red algae; 1.7.7 Heterokont algae; 1.7.8 Dinoflagellates; 1.7.9 Haptophytes; 1.7.10 Cryptophytes; 1.7.11 Euglenoids; 1.7.12 Chlorarachniophytes; 1.7.13 Other photosynthetic alga-like organisms; 1.8 ECOLOGY; ACKNOWLEDGMENT; REFERENCES; 2 Photosynthesis in Microalgae; 2.1 THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS; 2.2 THE NATURE OF LIGHT; 2.3 PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS; 2.4 THE LIGHT REACTIONS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS; 2.4.1 The photosynthetic membranes.

2.4.2 Photosynthetic electron transport and phosphorylation2.4.3 The outer light-harvesting antennae; 2.4.4 Photosystem II; 2.4.5 Plastoquinone, the cytochrome b6/f complex, and plastocyanin; 2.4.6 Photosystem I; 2.4.7 ATP synthase/ATPase; 2.5 THE DARK REACTIONS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS; 2.5.1 Carbon assimilation; 2.5.2 Photorespiration; 2.6 LIGHT ACCLIMATION; 2.7 SELECTED MONITORING TECHNIQUES USED IN MICROALGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY; 2.7.1 Measurement of photosynthetic oxygen evolution; 2.7.2 Measurement of photosynthetic carbon fixation; 2.7.3 Chlorophyll fluorescence.

2.8 THEORETICAL LIMITS OF MICROALGAL PRODUCTIVITYACKNOWLEDGEMENT; REFERENCES; 3 Basic Culturing and Analytical Measurement Techniques; 3.1 ISOLATION OF MICROALGAE; 3.1.1 Selection of sources of microalgae; 3.1.2 Enrichment of a culture; 3.1.3 Direct isolation; 3.1.4 Producing axenic cultures; 3.2 SCREENING OF MICROALGAE FOR BIOACTIVE MOLECULES; 3.2.1 Direct assays; 3.2.2 Indirect assays; 3.3 MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION OF MICROALGAL STRAINS; 3.4 MEASUREMENT OF GROWTH PARAMETERS; 3.4.1 Cell count; 3.4.2 Optical density method for determination of microalgal biomass; 3.4.3 Dry and wet mass.

3.4.4 Moisture content and ash content3.4.5 Chlorophyll determination; 3.4.6 Total organic carbon (TOC) measurement; 3.4.7 Doubling time, specific growth rate, and output rate; 3.4.8 Growth yield; 3.4.9 Maintenance energy requirement; 3.5 MODES OF CULTURE; 3.5.1 Batch culture; 3.5.2 Continuous cultures; 3.5.3 Immobilized cultures; 3.6 ADVANCED BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS; 3.6.1 Carbohydrates; 3.6.2 Proteins; 3.6.3 Lipids; 3.6.4 Fatty acid composition analysis; 3.6.5 Lipid determination using fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy; ACKNOWLEDGMENT; REFERENCES.

Algae are some of the fastest growing organisms in the world, with up to 90% of their weight made up from carbohydrate, protein and oil. As well as these macromolecules, microalgae are also rich in other high-value compounds, such as vitamins, pigments, and biologically active compounds, All these compounds can be extracted for use by the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food industries, and the algae itself can be used for feeding of livestock, in particular fish, where on-going research is dedicated to increasing the percentage of fish and shellfish feed not derived from fish.

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