Seaweed Biomass Utilization Pathways in Microbes and Their Applications in the Production of Biofuels

Abstract

Marine algae transform nearly 50 Gt of carbon dioxide each year from the atmosphere and convert it into biomass. Carbohydrates are the main components of the algal biomass, which function as storage of carbon and energy. Macroalgae show numerous features of a potential feedstock that may help the increasing global requirement for energy. Seaweed polysaccharides have been considered as cheap biomass to produce biodiesel, ethanol, and hydrogen. This book chapter is focused on macroalgae-based biorefinery. It provides a background on macroalgae taxonomic classification, habitat environment, enzymes, and metabolic pathways involved in macroalgae polysaccharide catabolism. In addition, it is also focused on providing information on native and engineered microbial platforms for biofuel production from brown macroalgae.