Meet the editor

Prof. Wael N. Hozzein is a Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Egypt. He received his Ph.D. from Cairo University, Egypt, and went on to work as a visiting scientist at Newcastle University, UK, and Michigan State University, USA. He is the chair professor of the Bioproducts Research Chair at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He has vast experience in bacterial taxonomy, microbial biodiver-

sity, and biotechnological applications of bacteria. Prof. Hozzein is the author of more than 180 publications and a guest editor, editorial board member, and reviewer for several international journals. Recently, he was included in Stanford University's list of the top 2% most-cited scientists. He has been the principal investigator for several funded grants and has also received several awards, including the State Encouragement Prize in Biological Sciences in 2015. Prof. Hozzein has been involved in many academic activities and educational reform projects and initiatives. Recently, he served as an advisor to Nahda University President for Development, Research, and Quality.

Contents

Toxigenic Cyanobacteria

*and Gabriel Komla Ameka*

Applications

and Their Applications

*by Jian Yuan and Kyoung-Jin Yoon*

Industrial Applications of Cyanobacteria

Potential of Cyanobacteria in Wound Healing

*by Laxmi Parwani, Mansi Shrivastava and Jaspreet Singh*

*by Mohd. Asim Khan, Sheetal Uppal and Suman Kundu*

*by Taiara A. Caires and Helen Michelle de J. Affe*

**Preface XI**

**Chapter 1 1**

**Chapter 2 25**

**Chapter 3 41**

**Chapter 4 61**

**Chapter 5 77**

Overview of PCR Methods Applied for the Identification of Freshwater

*by Ayesha Algade Amadu, Kweku Amoako Atta deGraft-Johnson* 

Novel Hemoglobin from *Synechocystis* sp. PCC 6803: Shedding Light on the Structure-Function Relationship and Its Biotechnological

Brazilian Coast: A Significant Gap in the Knowledge of Cyanobacteria

## Contents


Preface

Cyanobacteria are an interesting group of bacteria for their unique characteristics and potential biotechnological applications. They are very important for life on Earth because they are oxygenic organisms that also play crucial roles in the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. Interestingly, they have unique specialized cells called heterocysts for nitrogen fixation. Therefore, they are ideal model organisms for studying photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and other biological processes. In addition, cyanobacteria are well recognized for their potential for a variety of biotechnological applications. They were reported to produce a wide array of biologically active compounds that are attracting interest from the pharmaceutical industry for drug development. Also, they have various applications in agriculture as potential biofertilizers or in the industry for biofuel production, in addition to

Due to the increasing interest in this group of microorganisms, this book discusses recent advances in taxonomy and applications of cyanobacteria. It is a useful resource for students starting their research work on cyanobacteria, researchers interested in the recent advancements in their research field, and teachers involved in teaching topics related to cyanobacteria. The book contains five chapters.

Chapter 1 discusses the molecular methods applied for identifying freshwater toxigenic cyanobacteria, reviewing recent methods to rapidly and accurately identify toxic cyanobacteria, which is difficult due to the lack of discernable morphological difference between toxic and non-toxic strains within the same cyanobacterial species or genus. This information is important for students and researchers to

Chapter 2 outlines the diverse industrial applications of cyanobacteria in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and health sectors. The applications include the production of bioplastics, biofuels, biofertilizers, foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, the metabolic pathways that lead to the production of some important cyanobacterial bioactive compounds are outlined in this chapter along with examples of the commercial products from cyanobacteria currently

Chapter 3 reviews the potential of cyanobacteria in wound healing. It is clearly shown that these organisms have immense potential to be utilized for the develop-

Chapter 4 introduces a very interesting and special application for *Synechocystis* sp. PCC 6803, which is the production of a novel hemoglobin. The chapter sheds light on the structure–function relationship and potential applications of this novel hemoglobin. It has been reported that cyanobacterial hemoglobins have displayed unprecedented stability, unique heme coordination, and other properties that are not often observed in the globin superfamily. Therefore, this chapter provides an overview of the unique globin from *Synechocystis* sp. PCC 6803 and its biotechnological implications, including potential in the field of artificial oxygen carriers.

understand the methods they are going to use in their research.

many other biotechnological applications.

available on the market.

ment of bioactive wound dressings.
