Microalgae: A Sustainable Bio-Factory for High-Value-Added Product

Overexploitation of fossil fuels and subsequent rise in greenhouse gas emission have enforced the pursuit of alternative sustainable energy sources. Biorefineries are industrial facilities that transform biomass into energy and various high-end products in a sustainable way. Microalgae are used in the production of high-value-added products, including proteins, vitamins, carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and carbohydrates used in numerous industries. However, owing to the high economic burden of downstream processing, limited production of biomolecules and low product to biomass ratio, microalgae-based biorefineries are far from being commercially feasible. The zero-waste biorefinery approach ensures the exploitation of biomass as raw materials for high-value-added products, viz. nutraceuticals/pharmaceuticals, food, feed, bioenergy, biofuels and fertiliser. In this chapter, microalgae-based production of high-value products are discussed with a zero-waste biorefinery approach.