Diatoms of North AmericaDescription: Microalgae-based biofuels are a promising renewable liquid fuel that can directly replace petroleum. Algal biomass can also be used for production of plastics and polymers, and it can be an excellent source of protein and polyunsaturated oil for animal and human nutrition. In the last 10 years, multiple new developments in microalgae mass cultivation technology brought the cost of algae-based biofuels closer to that of petroleum. Diatoms are a promising group of algae for mass cultivation. They are easy to extract oil from and are a good source of protein. New areas of research and challenges in cultivation of diatoms for biomass and oil will be discussed.
Target audience: Anyone interested in mass cultivation of diatoms for bioproducts.
