Microalgal Production for Biomass and High-Value Products

Microalgae are of particular interest as sources for biofuel because they do not compete with agriculture for resources. This book reviews the latest technologies of algal biomass production, including strain selection, algal culture, harvesting, and processing, as well as an economic analysis of algae biomass. The book also explores novel uses for biomass products and addresses other key issues, such as market and supply chain analysis, business strategies, legal issues, and future prospects in algae biomass research.

Stephen P. Slocombe, PhD, is an experienced plant molecular biologist, working on microalgal biotechnology at the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences (SAMS) in Oban, United Kingdom, since 2009. He earned his PhD in botany from the University of Leicester. He has published extensively on biotechnology-related topics such as the regulation of plant lipid metabolism. At SAMS, he oversaw the screening of microalgal collection and is currently working on improving oil production and other biotechnological applications in marine microalgae, using molecular and physiological approaches.

John R. Benemann, PhD, is CEO of MicroBio Engineering, Inc., a research and consulting engineering company located in San Luis Obispo, California and focused on wastewater treatment and algal technologies. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He has founded two other companies, was an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and is a founding director of the Algae Biomass Organization, a trade organization. He is a member of the Executive Committees of the International Society for Applied Phycology and the European Algae Biomass Association. He has published extensively and is a frequent conference speaker.