Algaculture
Algaculture refers to the cultivation and farming of algae for various purposes, such as food, biofuels, and environmental applications. It involves the controlled growth and harvesting of algae in specialized systems, including open ponds and photobioreactors. Algaculture plays a significant role in sustainable resource production and environmental remediation efforts.
5 Key excerpts on "Algaculture"
eBook - ePubMarine Macro- and Microalgae
An Overview
- F. Xavier Malcata, Isabel Sousa Pinto, A. Catarina Guedes, F. Xavier Malcata, Isabel Sousa Pinto, A. Catarina Guedes(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...in Japan and Taiwan. Table 2 summarizes the commercial algal culture and their uses. Factors to be considered for production of microalgae include: the biology of the alga, cost of land, labor, energy, water, nutrients (climate if the culture is outdoors) and the type of final product. Microalgae are necessary from the second stage of larval development (zoea) and in combination with zooplankton from the third stage (myses). Naturally occurring microalgal blooms are encouraged in large ponds with low water exchange where the larvae are introduced. Sometimes fertilizers and bacteria are added to induce more favorable conditions. This production system with poor control of microalgae provides a better part of shrimp production (López Elías et al. 2003). Table 2. Commercial algal culture and its applications (Hemaiswarya et al...
eBook - ePub- James Chukwuma Ogbonna, Sylvia Uzochukwu, Emeka Godfrey Nwoba, Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji, Nwadiuto (Diuto) Esiobu, Abdulrazak B. Ibrahim, Benjamin Ewa Ubi, James Chukwuma Ogbonna, Sylvia Uzochukwu, Emeka Godfrey Nwoba, Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji, Nwadiuto (Diuto) Esiobu, Abdulrazak B. Ibrahim, Benjamin Ewa Ubi(Authors)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...Some other characteristics of eco-friendly technologies are recycled or reused materials and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants. Biotechnology research goals therefore include finding ways to increase the reproductive rate, improve metabolism of inputs and enhance the production of desired oils, fuel-grade alcohols, or proteins in useful species. Biotechnology is already employed in sequencing and annotating the genomes of algal species which aids researchers in understanding the metabolic processes through which algae convert carbon and nutrients into lipids or carbohydrates. Genetic engineering techniques currently used in plant and microbial biotechnology, including synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, are then employed to enable algae more predictably produce desired lipids for biofuels, alcohols, proteins, enzymes and other molecules, or carbohydrate-rich biomass for bioprocessing. Algae (grouped into microalgae and macroalgae/seaweed) are a diverse group of aquatic organisms that can be unicellular and/or simple multicellular that have high growth rates with photosynthetic efficiencies due to their simple structures. While the phylogenetic relationships continue to be resolved among groups, algae according to Barkia et al. (2019) are assigned to 11 major phyla: Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, Glaucophyta, Euglenophyta, Chlorarachniophyta, Charophyta, Cryptophyta, Haptophyta, Heterokontophyta, and Dinophyta. They represent a largely under-exploited group of natural resources with a tremendous potential to produce high-value natural products and are a promising new source of biomass for production of food, feed, fuel, or chemicals (Vandamme et al. 2013)...
eBook - ePubMicroalgae Building Enclosures
Design and Engineering Principles
- Kyoung Hee Kim(Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Part II Microalgae Architecture Case Studies Chapter 4 Microalgae Infrastructure Intervention DOI: 10.4324/9780367814410-6 Microalgae have been recognized as an attractive biological system that can be integrated with built environments to mitigate global challenges due to anthropogenic activities. Microalgae contribute to effectively offsetting carbon footprints and processing wastewater while increasing in biomass. These environmental attributes give microalgae great potential for integrating urban infrastructure that are related to food, energy, air, soil, and water use. Symbiotic efficiency from the biological system and the built environment can be developed into a closed-loop circular system where anthropogenic wastewater and carbon dioxide are recycled for microalgae growth which in return supplies valuable bioproducts. Biomass production as a result of photosynthesis is commercially available for essential foods and nutrients. Waste valorization can use microalgae as a biocatalyst to provide wastewater treatment and sequester flue gas carbon dioxide from power plants or transportation sources. Besides their role in cleaning air and water, they can also uptake and bioremediate pollutants such as heavy metals from contaminated soil. Their agricultural and environmental benefits make microalgae sustainable fuel stock for a renewable future energy system. Microalgae are a diverse group of microorganisms living in various environmental conditions. The use of microalgae as a food source and ailment treatment dates back thousands of years and an active application of bioproducts was promoted in the middle of the previous century. For centuries, microalgae served as a primary source in the human food chain. In 900 CE, people discovered Spirulina as a food source, and the Aztecs in 1300–1521 CE harvested Spirulina from Lake Texcoco. 1 In response to population growth and food insufficiency, microalgae as a food source and antibiotic began in the 1950s...
eBook - ePubBiomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals
Biofuels from Algae
- Ashok Pandey, Duu Jong Lee, Jo-Shu Chang, Yusuf Chisti, Carlos Ricardo Soccol(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Elsevier(Publisher)
...This chapter mainly focuses on how algae can be used as an efficient and economically viable biorefinery feedstock. To strengthen the algal biorefinery concept, a proper connection needs be established between the various input and output streams, as well as services to be provided by the industries involved. Biorefinery using algae can only be effective through integration with other industries. This chapter is accordingly organized on three pillars: food/feed and nutraceutical applications, biofuel production, and environmental improvement via upgrading of spent biomass. 2 Spent Biomass for Food, Feed, Cosmetic, and Health Applications In this section, some aspects of algal biology and biochemistry are introduced in view of their relevance for the underlying economics; the composition of algal biomass, in terms of polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, pigments, and halogenated and phenol compounds, is shown to be critical in determining its overall value. 2.1 Polysaccharides Algae contain large amounts of polysaccharides—notably as contributors to cell wall structure, but also storage polysaccharides [16]...
eBook - ePubAdvances in Microbial Biotechnology
Current Trends and Future Prospects
- Pradeep Kumar, PhD., Jayanta Kumar Patra, Pranjal Chandra, Pradeep Kumar, PhD., Jayanta Kumar Patra, Pranjal Chandra(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Apple Academic Press(Publisher)
...acid value, density, heating value and viscosity, etc.) are comparable to those of fuel diesel. [ 12, 13 ] In recent years, the main focus of research in the field of biofuels from natural resources like microalgae has been centred on downstream aspects such as biomass and lipid production from microalgae, biomass harvesting techniques, bioreactor designs and the chemistry of biofuel production because of unicellular nature of green algae. Microalgal bioprospecting encompasses isolation, identification and collection of unique microalgal strains from different aquatic environments and habitats for exploiting the potential applications of value-added products such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). [ 14 ] The need to the replacement of fossil fuels with fuels derived from renewable biomass is currently focused on biodiesel from oleaginous plant seeds and ethanol from sugarcane/corn, but environmental and social concerns are shifting the attention towards the development of third generation algal biofuels. [ 15 ] The third generation is represented by biofuels from micro- and macroalgae but in the case of terrestrial plant sources the production of second-generation biofuels relies on the conversion of the highly abundant and widespread nonedible lignocellulosic fraction. Benefits rising from the utilization of aquatic over terrestrial biomass include (i) utilization of marginal areas (e.g. desert and coastal regions), (ii) higher light use efficiency (about 5% vs. 1.8%), [ 16 ] (iii) minor dependence on climatic conditions, (iv) possible coupling with other activities (e.g. waste-water treatment, CO 2 sequestration), (v) easier genetic manipulation to modify chemical composition (e.g...
