The Seaweed-based valuable products: Production, functionalization, and applications book collates the latest information on the valorization of seaweed biomass and seaweed-derived polysaccharides. The book provides sustainable processes/technologies for the commercial production of valuable seaweed products and all the latest developments in the valorization of the seaweed biomass field. The contributing authors have excelled in providing information on the production of commercially important seaweed products, functional new materials, and present and future uses of seaweed-derived polysaccharides. Essential elements of sustainable processes/technologies of seaweed processing and functional modifications are presented to the reader in an accessible and easily understood format. All the downstream processes for seaweed biomass have been updated in this book to benefit R&D scientists, students, and seaweed industries for future implementation.

You (reader) will learn the downstream processes/technologies for the industrial production of commercially important seaweed products including food & bacteriological grade agar, molecular biology grade agarose, alginate, and kappa-carrageenan from seaweed biomass. This book also provides an authoritative guide for the preparation of functional new materials including nanomaterials, super adsorbents for wastewater remediation, ionogels, biodegradable packaging materials, etc., using seaweed-derived green precursors for potential applications. Each process/technology is illustrated with comprehensive details that can easily be deliberate for R&D and industrial purposes.

In addition to covering a wide range of product classes, from seaweed and seaweed polysaccharides to value-added products and functional new materials, you will also get detailed applications of seaweed-derived products in pharmacology, medicine, cosmetics, and food fields.

Dr. Ramavatar Meena, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-CSMCRI-Bhavnagar, & Professor, Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201 002. He has been awarded prestigious awards & fellowships such as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC),  he is the recipient of DST-SERC Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientists (2006); DST-BOYSCAST Fellowship in 2009 to carry out advanced research at Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany; CSIR Award for S&T Innovations for Rural Development for the Year 2012; Associate Fellow Gujarat Science Academy; Life Member of IIMM; CSIR-CSMCRI Best Technology Award -2016 & 2018; IIMM outstanding Research Paper Award – 2018, DBT-Biotechnology Product, Process Development and Commercialization Award – 2020 in recognition of his contribution to the field of value addition of Indian Seaweed biomass using simple and sustainable approaches. His work fulfils the Slogan “Make in India” & “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”.

Dr. Meena is known for his seminal work on the development of indigenous processes/technologies for the industrial production of commercially important seaweed polysaccharides, seaweed fertilizer/biostimulants & sustainable materials for industrial uses. His outputs are the big achievements to uplift the country and make India self-dependent on seaweed processing and their valuable products including seaweed polysaccharides & fertilizers/biostimulants. His work will open new areas for Indian seaweed industries and help to establish new seaweed industries for commercial production. His work also provides big opportunity to generate employment for the coastal population in India through seaweed farming.

He is extensively working on an important country/institute mandate known as the value addition of Indian seaweed biomass through chemical intervention. He is developing downstream processing for seaweed biomass to obtain commercially important seaweed polysaccharides/polymers (such as agar, agarose, carrageenan, alginates, etc.) & plant bio-stimulants/bio-fertilizers, sustainable materials, etc. He is also working on the functional modifications of natural polymers specifically seaweed polysaccharides to prepare sustainable materials including biosensors, self-healable gel, health care gels, bioactive substances, super adsorbents, drug carriers, polymeric membranes for separation, biodegradable packaging thin films, nano drugs, composite materials, etc., through chemical and physical interventions. In brief, he has authored more than eighty research papers in prestigious journals, 19 patents, 7 books/chapters on natural polymers, and 55 invited talk/conference papers. In addition, he is the pioneer in developing indigenous technologies to produce superior quality seaweed products, and he had successfully developed process technologies for more than 10 commercially important seaweed products, which have been successfully transferred to more than twenty (20) industries for commercial production of seaweed products in India. He is also designated Professor by newly established academy AcSIR & teaching several courses on basic chemistry including natural polymers/products & materials.