P - R
type: Concept

POLARPRODS
type: Concept
in scheme: projects
definition: Short Title: POLARPRODS Proposal URL: http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=142 Microalgae - prokaryotic cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae play a key role in Arctic and Antarctic ecology as primary producers. They can cope with extreme temperatures, varying light intensities, as well as low availability of essential nutrients and other resources. Microalgae constitute a potential resource useful in biotechnological applications and they have an important advantage over many other organisms as they can be expediently cultured for the production and processing of desirable compounds. Culturing of microalgae and their maintenance in a culture collection as a stable renewable resource is a huge advantage in the development of their value to biotechnology. The promising application, with a possible turn-up both for the public health and for the safeguard of the ambient, is definitely the utilization of microalgae as a source of bioactive substances. Recently, much effort has been expended on the search for new compounds of therapeutic potential, demonstrating that microalgae of all classes possess antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activities. There is also a number of different modes in which microalgae are utilised in aquaculture: a) as feed to supply basic nutrients; b) as a source of pigments to improve the colour of fish; c) for other biological purposes. Some prospects for new chemicals have been reported in recent years, the most prominent of which are carotenoids of nutritional and medical value, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), polysaccharides, peptides and radical scavengers. Even though, the cultivation scale-up of microalgae in polar regions seem to be difficult due to the harsh climatic conditions, on the basis of preliminary experiments, we propose an innovative step to develop microalgal photobioreactors for extreme environmental conditions, which could potentially help to develop local industry and at the same time provi…