Phyconanotechnology: Current Research, Challenges, and Prospects

This book explores the scientific development in the field of algal-based nanomaterials synthesis, production methods, and commercial and utilization aspects of phyconanomaterials to address a range of problems of humanity. Nanomaterials have been recently explored for and employed in environmental remediation, biomedical applications, agriculture, food industries, energy sectors, cosmetics, biolabeling, and space due to their versatility and wide range of applicability owing to their peculiar material characteristics and other attributes. Their conventional synthesis approaches are replacing green methods as the latter is comparatively economical, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly. Biological entities and derived materials-based nanomaterials synthesis is such a green approach. Using natural systems to synthesize nanomaterials does not leave behind any toxic compounds generally produced as by-products when physical or chemical methods are employed. Phyconanotechnology, a green way of synthesizing nanomaterials, can be used to overcome this issue. In the proposed book, algal diversity-based nanomaterials synthesis and their applications will be presented to the readers.

Dr. Lakhan Kumar works at the Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India. He completed his B. Tech in Biotechnology from the National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, and M. Tech in Industrial Biotechnology from Delhi Technological University, Delhi. He obtained his Ph.D. in Algal Biotechnology from Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India, where he investigated the application of native freshwater microalgae for biodiesel production, accumulation, and enhancement of chemicals of industrial significance, including b-carotene, polyhydroxy butyrate, and lutein; synthesis of biochar and nanoparticles for environmental remediation. He has more than six years of academic and administrative experience.

Dr. Lakhan Kumar works towards Environmental Sustainability and Energy independence in rural and urban areas by utilizing biomass potential. His interests include Bioenergy, Bioprocess Engineering, Algal Biorefinery, and Remediation of Environmental Pollutants. He has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, majorly in Algal Biofuels, Biorefinery, and Bioremediation. He also holds experience in book editing on domains like algal biotechnology, biochemical engineering, and biological wastewater treatment. He is a reviewer of several reputed journals and a member of a society working on Environmental and Social Development.

Dr. Navneeta Bharadvaja holds a Ph.D. degree in Plant Biotechnology and is currently working as Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India-110042. Prior to joining Delhi Technological University, she worked as a Lecturer for eight months in the Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering & Technology, IFTM, Lodhpur Rajput, Moradabad. She teaches Biopharmaceuticals, Plant biotechnology, Genetic engineering, Genetics, Genomics, Bioethics, Biosafety and IPR, and Bionanotechnology. She has served in several administrative positions. She has more than 16 years of Research and Teaching experience. She has guided 5 Ph.D. students and more than 100 B. Tech/M. Tech/M.Sc. Students for their respective dissertations.

Prof. Sunil Kumar Khare joined the Department of Chemistry, IIT-Delhi, in 2000 as Assistant Professor and rose to HAG and Institute Chair Professor at present, an alumnus of IIT Delhi from where he received his doctoral degree in Biochemistry (1990). He is currently Institute Chair Professor of Biochemistry at IIT Delhi. He did his Postdoctoral research at the National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan. Prof. Khare has more than 30 years of academic and industrial research experience with 200+ publications and patents. His current noteworthy contributions have been in differential proteomics of solvent-tolerant and halophilic classes of extremophiles and in deciphering nanotoxicity mechanisms in plant and microbial systems. Prof. Khare holds a good reputation in the international research community. He has been invited as Visiting Professor to the University of Blaise Pascal, Clermont Ferrand, France (2018 and 2014). He was Visiting Fellow (DBT) at Northern Regional Research Laboratory, USDA, Peoria, IL, USA (2006). Prof. Khare was honoured with awards like the Basic Research Award, IIT Delhi (2021), the United Nations -Amway Award in 1998, and the Malaviya Memorial Award Senior Faculty-BRSI in 2018.

Raksha Anand works on the development of algal nutraceuticals, waste and biomass valorization, and analytical methods for detecting bioactive compounds from environmental samples. She completed her B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biotechnology from the School of Basic Sciences and Research (SBSR), Sharda University. She received the Merit Scholarship at Sharda University and was awarded a gold medal for her Steller performance at the University. She completed her Master's in Biotechnology from Delhi Technological University, Delhi. She worked on the bioprospecting of microalgae, their valorization for nutraceuticals, and the development of algal-based materials for environmental remediation.