The objective of this chapter is to provide scientific information on basic aspects to be taken into account to achieve the successful isolation, biochemical, and molecular characterization and then to evaluate the biotechnological potential of native microalgae of the Peruvian Amazon. Recent investigations reported by our research team has demonstrated that the isolated native microalgae from the Peruvian Amazon have a great potential for the biotechnological production of biodiesel and nutraceuticals. This biotechnological potential was identified thanks to the application of various protocols that were standardized by the authors over the last 5 years. In conclusion, the native microalgae of the Peruvian Amazon have biotechnological potential and are therefore promising for the production of both biodiesel and nutraceuticals. Various species of microalgae were identified, isolated, cultured, and characterized using biochemical, nutraceutical, and molecular techniques, the isolation stage being the starting point to achieve various biotechnological applications. Ankistrodesmus sp. is one of the microalgae with potential for the production of biodiesel and microalgae such as Haematococcus pluvialis, Scenedesmus sp., and Chlorella sp., among others demonstrated a high potential for nutraceutical production. The stress conditions to which microalgae are subjected are being a determining factor for the production of biodiesel and nutraceuticals.

Environmental pollution is a severe and common problem in all the countries worldwide. Various physicochemical technologies and organisms (e.g., plants, microorganisms, etc.) are used to address these environmental issues, but low-cost, practical, efficient, and effective approaches have not been available yet. Microalgae offer an attractive, novel, and little-explored bioremediation alternative because these photosynthetic organisms can eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and remove heavy metals and toxic organic compounds through processes still under study. Our research team has conducted some experiments to determine the bioremediation potential of native microalgae on some pollutant sources (i.e., leachate and wastewater) and its ability to remove hazardous chemical compounds. Therefore, in this chapter, we provide the results of our research and updated information about this exciting topic. Experiments were conducted under controlled culture conditions using several native microalgae species, variable time periods, different pollutant sources, and hazardous chemicals such as ethidium bromide. The results indicated that native microalgae can remove pollutants (i.e., phosphorus, ammonia, etc.) of wastewater, leachate, and some hazardous chemical compounds such as ethidium bromide. In conclusion, native microalgae have an excellent potential for removing several pollutants and, consequently, could be used to develop bioremediation technologies based on native microalgae from the Peruvian Amazon.

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Cyanobacteria are diverse photosynthetic microorganisms able to produce a myriad of bioactive chemicals. To make possible the rational exploitation of these microorganisms, it is fundamental to know their metabolic capabilities and to have genomic resources. In this context, the main objective of this research was to determine the genome features and the biochemical profile of Synechococcus sp. UCP002. The cyanobacterium was isolated from the Peruvian Amazon Basin region and cultured in BG-11 medium. Growth parameters, genome features, and the biochemical profile of the cyanobacterium were determined using standardized methods. Synechococcus sp. UCP002 had a specific growth rate of 0.086 ± 0.008 μ and a doubling time of 8.08 ± 0.78 h. The complete genome of Synechococcus sp. UCP002 had a size of ∼3.53 Mb with a high coverage (∼200x), and its quality parameters were acceptable (completeness = 99.29%, complete and single-copy genes = 97.5%, and contamination = 0.35%). Additionally, the cyanobacterium had six plasmids ranging from 24 to 200 kbp. The annotated genome revealed ∼3,422 genes, ∼ 3,374 protein-coding genes (with ∼41.31% hypothetical protein-coding genes), two CRISPR Cas systems, and 61 non-coding RNAs. Both the genome and plasmids had the genes for prokaryotic defense systems. Additionally, the genome had genes coding the transcription factors of the metalloregulator ArsR/SmtB family, involved in sensing heavy metal pollution. The biochemical profile showed primary nutrients, essential amino acids, some essential fatty acids, pigments (e.g., all-trans-β-carotene, chlorophyll a, and phycocyanin), and phenolic compounds. In conclusion, Synechococcus sp. UCP002 shows biotechnological potential to produce human and animal nutrients and raw materials for biofuels and could be a new source of genes for synthetic biological applications.

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