Il giorno 05 Luglio alle ore 11:30 siete invitati al seminario "Macroalgae: an opportunity for sustainable
agriculture and environmental cleanup" della Prof.ssa Izabela Michalak della Wroclaw University of Science and Technology - Poland.

The underexploited biomass of macroalgae (marine and freshwater), very often resulting from the eutrophication of water reservoirs, constitutes a valuable feedstock in many regions around the world. Due to the unique chemical composition – the content of micro- and macroelements, amino acids, vitamins, polysaccharides, antioxidants etc. – this biomass can be used as a raw material for the production of agrochemicals. Currently, there is a tendency to search for a new generation of agro-products manufactured from raw materials of biological origin. The application of environment-friendly extraction techniques such as supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound or enzyme assisted extraction enables the production of algal extracts, serving as potential biostimulants of plant growth. These products are known to enhance plant nutrition efficiency, tolerance to the biotic and abiotic stress, as well as the crop yield and quality. Algal extracts can be also used for the biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles, which can be applied in agriculture, medicine and as a sorbent in wastewater treatment. The algal biomass itself, as well as the obtained post-extraction residue, can be used as a carrier of micronutrients for plants, due to the application of biosorption. This process enables quick and reversible binding of microelement ions on the biomass surface. Macroalgae can also constitute a feedstock for biochar production via pyrolysis, which is known as a valuable soil amendment. When added to the soil, it improves its properties, increases plant productivity and has a positive impact on the environment. The excellent sorption properties of algae and derived by-products can also be exploited in the environment cleanup. Possible applications include the use of biosorbents of algae origin in the wastewater treatment, as well as in the bioremediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals by immobilization. This presentation gives an idea of the multitude of waste algae biomass applications in sustainable agriculture and environmental cleanup.

Acknowledgments

This work was performed in the framework of grants: “Eco-friendly technologies for the management of seaweed biomass for products useful for sustainable agriculture and biosorbents used for the removal of heavy metal ions from the environment” (No 2019/33/B/NZ9/01844) from the National Science Centre in Poland and “Valorization of the waste macroalgae biomass into bio-products useful for sustainable agriculture and environment” from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA-Canaletto, No PPN/BIT/2021/1/00004/U/00001).

#algae, #waste valorization, #agriculture, #Nanoparticles