Publisher's Synopsis
The commercial exploitation of algae for the production of gelling agents and foods is well established. In nature, however, algae occupy a wide range of habitats and have a corresponding metabolic diversity, which has remained a largely untapped resource. As photosynthetic autotrophs, economically important products can, in principle, be derived from them at relatively low cost and new industrial processes are being developed to achieve this worldwide.;This book featuring contributions from international researchers and professionals, outlines current activities in the field and discusses past research, and potential future developments in the exploitation of algae and cyanobacteria.;Other topics covered include: their role as experimental organisms; the important laboratory techniques of genetic manipulation and cell immobilization; and the production of a broad range of pharmaceuticals, fuels, nitrogenous and other compounds.
