The Department of Biotechnology, Nehru Arts and Science College has organized One day webinar on “Algal Biotechnology: Opportunities, Challenges, and Sustainability” on 17/10/2020. The program was inaugurated with the welcome address by Dr. R. Vijayaraghavan, Dean-Biosciences NASC. The presidential address of the program was delivered by Dr. B. Anirudhan, Principal, Nehru Arts and Science College. Technical Session was initiated with the talk by Dr. P. Hanumantha Rao, Department of Microbiology, Madras Christian College, Chennai – 59.
Algal biotechnology is the technological application of algae (both microalgae and macroalgae) as well as their derivatives to modify products for a specific use. The main goal of the program was to project the prospect of the algae in different domains in socio beneficiary perception including 1. Bioactive compounds, 2. Nano cellulose, 3. Secondary metabolites, 4. Bioethanol, 5. Biodiesel, 6. Bio-gas, 7. Bio-hydrogen, 8. Bio-polymers, 9. Bioreactor and mass production. The future perseverance in the field of algal biotechnology in terms of academics and research as knowledge promotion, opportunities, challenges were comprehended in the session. Even, our students understood that this promising idea would pave way for an additional opportunity in their further go. The participants actively interacted with the resource person and gave good feedback. Finally, the session was concluded with a vote of thanks.
Outcome of the Event
Currently, different countries are facing the environmental impacts on pollution-related issues, on the other hand, energy and resource conservation which is a major concern even in developed countries, and comparatively, India is proliferating in the research attributes of Algal Biotechnology in recent decades. Accordingly, different products and patent technologies have been progressively developing like i) feed-based micro and macroalgal components in aquaculture, nutraceuticals, and food industries, iii). Pigments based food products, endorsing sector in the field of food processing and manufacture, iii) engineered advancements-based photo-bioreactor, raceway modes which are equally patented and under process for the patent from the Indian scientific fraternity. The complete evidence on the recent trends, challenges, and future opportunities was discussed in the program from the socioeconomic, research to the application level perspectives. Introducing, promoting such potential technology that acquires the future academia and industries is a must to know the information to the students’ community relatively in the high-throughput profile ratio and global competence. Algal biotechnology, as one of the foremost applications with prominent intervention in the biotechnology domain, sustainability in the food sector, fuel production, bioactive compounds retrieval, and bioprospecting, renewable energy conservation are the major challenges which the technology ready to resolve in the near future.
