Facets of diatom biology and their potential applications

Abstract

Diatoms are the reservoir of bioactive compounds which have immense application in nutrition, industrial commodities and ecological studies. In the oceans, diatoms form a large bloom of silica under favourable conditions, whereas, in lentic and lotic systems, they colonize according to seasonal disturbances. Notably, the survival of diatoms in a stressed environment is because of their uniqueness; therefore, diatoms serve as an ideal candidate to understand the evolutionary paradigm and successional dynamics. This review outlines the biological uniqueness of diatoms, their role in biogeochemical cycles and the recolonization pattern of diatoms in anthropic disturbed habitats. Furthermore, a detailed discussion on different technologies for extracting valuable biomolecules with an emphasis on lipid extraction has been carried out. Moreover, the diatom-based photosynthetic biorefinery approach for a better understanding of the renewable usage of biomass is done. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2021, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.