Plasma applications in microalgal biotechnology

Abstract

Microalgae are very important organisms for the biosphere because they are at the basis of most of the food chains. Some taxa can also bloom and release dangerous toxins in the environment. Microalgae are also very promising for industrial applications in various sectors, including food, feed, pharmaceutical, wellness, energy, building, space, water treatment, biosensing, and biotechnology. The development of these applications requires in many cases the optimization of processing steps. Plasma technology has already been applied on biomolecules, proteins, enzymes, and peptides in the biomedical field, for the preparation of bioactive compounds and antifouling surfaces. Nowadays, the research prospective deals with the agriculture domain in the purpose of cleaning, sterilizing, or fertilizing the soil. However, plasma technology was also explored for enhancing bioadhesion and bioproduction without destroying microalgae. This chapter gives illustrations on this new application of plasma technology.