Microalgae nanotechnology and drug development

Microalgae are eukaryotic microorganisms with a broad range of potential applications in nanotechnology. This diverse group of organisms originates from multiple phylogenetic lineages that are not necessarily closely related, and thus have a wide range of potential in nanotechnological development. Microalgae are well known for use in biofuels and bioremediation, but what is less known are the uses of microalgae as bionanofactories for nanoparticles and drug products. Microalgae also represent a wealth of relatively untapped potential for the discovery of new drugs and drug classes, including the repurposing of harmful toxins produced by several species as therapeutics. In this chapter, we discuss the health-based applications of microalgae, with particular emphasis on nanoparticle production, natural product drug discovery, and genetic transformation into biofactories for protein drugs or scavenger biorobots.