Diatoms for Value-Added Products: Challenges and Opportunities

Diatoms are a promising feedstock for developing value-added products like carotenoids, functional foods, bioactive pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biofuel. However, developing diatoms for these applications is not without its challenges. This chapter discusses the challenges and opportunities in developing diatoms for value-added products. The impact of abiotic environmental stresses, such as intensity and quality of incident light, nutrient deficiency, and silicon depletion, on diatoms has been examined to determine key factors that affect the growth performance and productivity of valuable products. The nutraceutical value of the myriad compounds like omega 3 fatty acids-DHA, polysaccharides, and phenols in diatoms has also been elaborated. Finally, the challenges in sustainable diatom biorefinery have been discussed. This chapter provides insights into the biotechnology potential of diatoms for value-added products and highlights the need for further research in this area.