Microalgae - From Physiology to Application

0531457 - MBÚ 2021 RIV GB eng M - Monography Chapter
Čížková, Mária - Vítová, Milada - Zachleder, Vilém
The Red Microalga Galdieria as a Promising Organism for Applications in Biotechnology.
Microalgae - From Physiology to Application. London: IntechOpen, 2020 - (Vítová, M.). ISBN 978-1-83880-036-9
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1416
EU Projects: European Commission(CZ) ATCZ172 - Interreg V-A Austria – Czech Republic
Institutional support: RVO:61388971
Keywords : Galdieria * red algae * extremophiles
OECD category: Microbiology

The genus Galdieria refers to red algae and includes microscopic inhabitants of highly acidic (pH 1–2), often volcanic habitats. They are thermophilic or thermo-tolerant organisms, some of them surviving temperatures up to 56°C. As other extremophilic microorganisms, they exhibit unique features derived from their modified metabolisms. In this chapter, we will review the special abilities of Galdieria species such as metabolic flexibility to grow photoautotrophically, heterotrophically or mixotrophically, ability to utilize a whole range of unusual carbon sources, capability of surviving extreme environments or their extremely high resistance to metals. We will discuss the potential of Galdieria for applications in biotechnology, for example, phycocyanin production, nutrient removal from urban wastewaters, bio-mining, treatment of acidic mine drainage, selective metal precipitation, bioremediation of acidic metal-contaminated areas or recovery of critical and scarce metals from secondary sources.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0310119