Engineering Spirulina for Enhanced Medicinal Application

Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes which can perform photosynthesis like higher plants. Their genomic organisation is very simple and thus is suitable for the study of detailed photosynthesis mechanism at a molecular level also for many other genomic manipulations relevant to benefit of living organisms. This unicellular alga, Spirulina has a thin thread like elongated structure and classified under Cyanobacteriaceae which is blue green in colour. Under microscope it looks like bunch of bright helical threads (Fig. 11.1).