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  • © 2015

Solar-to-Fuel Conversion in Algae and Cyanobacteria

  • Addresses the potentiality of cyanobacteria for the generation of direct photosynthesis-to-fuel platforms
  • Focuses on solar-to-fuel conversion for production of advanced biofuels, pointing to the importance of relying on the sun for our sustainability in the long term
  • Covers both academic research and industrial achievements
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science (BRIEFSENVIRONMENTAL)

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-viii
  2. Introduction

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 1-1
  3. Biofuels: An Emerging Industry

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 3-5
  4. Bioethanol from Algae Polysaccharides

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 13-17
  5. Biodiesel from Microalgae

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 19-26
  6. Economic Viability of Algal Biodiesel

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 39-41
  7. Photosynthesis: A Dynamic Process

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 43-49
  8. Solar-to-Biomass Conversion Efficiency

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 51-54
  9. Light Saturation of Photosynthesis

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 55-58
  10. Concluding Remarks

    • Cinzia Formighieri
    Pages 95-95
  11. Back Matter

    Pages 97-105

About this book

​This volume is focused on solar-to-fuel conversion using algae and cyanobacteria for advanced generation biofuels. Production of biofuels needs to rely on cheap and renewable resources, in order to be economically viable and environmentally sustainable in the long term. Solar energy is an abundant and renewable resource, and strategies for solar-to-fuel conversion have the potential to sustain our energy demands in the long term and to be carbon-dioxide neutral. First generation biofuels are those already on the market, such as bio-ethanol from sugarcane and corn starch, biodiesel from oil seed crops. However, development of a single biofuel, as efficient as it may be, would be insufficient and could not sustain the global demand for energy.

The next generation of advanced biofuels explores alternative feedstocks and technologies, finding novel solar-to-fuel solutions. Algae and cyanobacteria can convert sunlight into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. They represent an alternative with respect to crops for solar-to-fuel conversion that does not compete with food for arable land. This SpringerBrief focuses only on solar-to-fuel conversion for production of advanced biofuels, pointing to the importance of relying on the sun for our sustainability in the long term. It is the only current publication to discuss the problem of light-utilization inefficiency during mass cultivation of micro-algae. This review also addresses the potential of cyanobacteria for the generation of direct photosynthesis-to-fuel platforms and discusses both possibilities and constraints for future developments.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology, The University of california at Berkeley, Berkeley, USA

    Cinzia Formighieri

About the author

Cinzia Formighieri is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of California at Berkeley, where she researches genetic engineering of microbial platforms for the production of human commodities. She holds a PhD in Molecular, Industrial, and Environmental Biotechnology from the University of Verona, Italy.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access