Hairy root culture: A biotechnological approach to produce valuable metabolites

Abstract

Hairy root (HR) cultures are attracting more attention due to their unique ability in degrading different pollutants and production of metabolites with therapeutic or industrial applications. This specific type of plant cell culture is derived from explants that are infected by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The HR cultures are categorized by their growth rate as well as their genetic and biochemical stability. Progress in design of innovative bioreactors and process intensification for HR growth will allow successful industrial production of metabolites. This chapter will present advances in work on HR cultures related to the detoxification of pollutants, production of valuable metabolites, and their cultivation in large-scale intensified bioreactors.