Cultivation of photosynthetic micro-organisms

Able to synthesize most of the essential organic elements such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, microalgae and cyanobacteria present a highly varied biochemistry compared to other micro-organisms. In fact, the identification of specific metabolites has been a major impetus for research, particularly into molecules prized by industry, such as pigments, polysaccharides and various biologically active compounds [IN201] . As the taxonomic diversity of photosynthetic micro-organisms is enormous, possible applications have emerged in fields as varied as food, pharmacology and cosmetology. The choice of suitable strains, and their cultivation in appropriate systems, has enabled...