Blue Biotechnology
Blue biotechnology summarizes microalgae and macroalgae, mosses as well as blue algae or cyanobacteria. This modern natural science deals not only with organisms form marine origin but also reaches all photosynthetic microorganisms which prefer an aquatic environment. As water covers a huge percentage of our planet a pool of a non-measurable number of opportunities could be issued within the phrase of blue biotechnology.
Microalgae research
Currently, microalgae are the driving force within blue biotechnology. These unicellular green, blue or red organisms grow faster than any land crop and form a potential new resource for second generation biofuels. Additionally, more than 300’000 species from diverse habitats are estimated to exist on earth and these may supply a barely unlimited product portfolio to humans:
- Colorants (Chlorophylls, Carotinoids)
- Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids – PUFA (EPA, DHA)
- Pharmacons (Anti-Herpes-Agent)
- Dermatological Agents (Poly-saccharides, skin lighteners)
- Antioxidants (Cell- & UV-protection, anti-aging)
- Starch
- Fat
- Cellulose
- Proteins
Basically, microalgae can replace crude-oil as raw material of many market products with their biomass from renewable resources. The pure energetic efficiency of algae’s light conversion is limited to app. 1% of the sun irradiation, but the biological reactions during algae growth produce the presented variety of useful natural substances. The shifted reactions for these substances need much less energy than the latest artificial biorefinery processes.
Prospective of blue biotechnology
Worldwide, many projects on photobioreactors for industrial microalgae mass production are performed. But the final output rates are mostly not sufficient for economical operation concepts. On the other hand, few business groups from the food and beverage industry have been attracted by the novel plant-based resources with their active agents and their functional compounds. The demand from this profession is coupled with some specific standards, which can hardly be fulfilled by current phototrophic productions. Another chance is to draw upon proven methods from classical biotechnology to keep the standards. In addition, closed bioreactors provide the opportunity of complicated production fields, like mosses or specialized plant cells, where they may reach economical production outputs easier than photobioreactors do.