Cyanobacterial Physiology From Fundamentals to Biotechnology

Cyanobacteria are ancient, primordial oxygenic phototrophs, and probably the progenitor of oxygen-evolving photosynthesis. They are a prolific source of natural products and metabolites and vitally important for environmental biology and biotechnology.

Cyanobacterial Physiology presents foundational knowledge alongside the most recent advances in cyanobacterial biology. The title examines the challenges of industrial application through an understanding of the basic molecular machinery of cyanobacteria. Sixteen chapters are organized into three sections. The first part covers basic cyanobacterial biology, emphasizing environmental biology such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, circadian rhythm, and programmed cell death. The second part includes the chapters that discuss cyanobacterial extremophiles, adaptations, secondary metabolites, osmoprotectants, and toxins. The third part covers aspects of cyanobacterial application that are based on environmental biology. Leading scientists contribute chapters on cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacterial Physiology presents a comprehensive and vibrant solution for researchers and engineers in biotechnology interested in cyanobacteria and their applications. Topics include the cyanobacterial cell and fundamental physiological processes; the biotechnological potential of cyanobacteria with their versatile metabolism; and advanced applications of cyanobacterial products. At each stage the book is informed by basic and applied research.

• Examines industrial applications of cyanobacteria through their basic molecular machinery
• Presents foundational knowledge about cyanobacteria alongside the latest research
• Leading scientists present basic and applied research on cyanobacteria
• Covers cyanobacterial biology and applications in environmental biotechnology
• Give researchers and engineers a comprehensive solution for working with cyanobacteria in relation to environmental biology and biotechnology

Part I: Fundamental and physiological characteristics of cyanobacteria 1. The cyanobacterial cell 2. Fundamental physiological process: Photosynthesis, light harvesting complex and carbon concentrating mechanisms 3. Nitrogen fixation in Cyanobacteria 4. Circadian clock in cyanobacteria 5. Theoretical aspects of temperature effect on cyanobacterial circadian clock 6. Regulated cell death in cyanobacteria: Evidences, classification and significances

Part II: Extremophiles, adaptations, secondary metabolites, osmolytes, and toxins in cyanobacteria 7. Extremophilic cyanobacteria 8. Mycosporine-like amino acids and scytonemin: Regulations, roles for adaptation of cyanobacteria to the environment, and potential applications 9. Osmoprotectant molecules in cyanobacteria: Their basic features, biosynthetic regulations, and potential applications 10. Detection, biosynthesis, and biofunction of microcystin in the freshwater bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis 11. Mycosporine-like amino acids in freshwater bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis: detection, biosynthesis, genetic marker, and biofunction

Part III: Applications of cyanobacteria in biotechnology 12. Application of cyanobacterial compounds in energy, health, value-added products, and agricultural sectors: A prospective 13. Exploring metabolic versatility of cyanobacteria for an emerging carbon-neutral bioeconomy 14. A carbon metabolism of great biotechnological interest: Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology of cyanobacteria 15. Cyanobacterial photoreceptors and their application 16. Cyanobacterial and commercially important carotenoids: Biosynthesis, metabolic engineering, biological activities, applications, and processing