Dr. Laura Barsanti graduated in Natural Sciences from University of Pisa (Italy) and though she dreamed of sailing the seas to study whales and dolphins, she ended up chasing microalgae on a microscope slide. She realized she liked it, and she kept doing it for more than 40 years before at the Centro Studi Microrgansmi Autotrofi in Florence, then at the Biophysics Institute in Pisa, where she still does it today. She authored 3 books and edited 3 more; she published about 200 papers and patents.

Dr. Paolo Gualtieri graduated in Biology and Computer Science from University of Pisa (Italy) and then took his PhD in Biophysics at the same University. He has been visiting professor with many different research institutes around the world (Max Plank Institute for Biophysical Chemistry of Gottingen, Max Plank Institute for Biochemistry of Martinsried, CNRS Marine Station of Villefranche sur Mer, NIH Bethesda, University of Marburg, University of Regensburg, Computer Science Center of the University of Maryland, University of Tenneesse, and Purdue University). At present he is senior scientist at the Biophysics Institute of the National Council of Research (CNR) in Pisa (Italy) and Adjunct Professor of University of Maryland, University College (College Park, Ma, USA). He gave over 30 keynote international lectures, authored 3 books and edited 3 more; he published and about 200 papers and patents, as well as serving on many international boards. Paolo used to be a tennis teacher, now he just plays; he has a Conservatory of Music diploma in piano and another one in trumpet, and he does enjoy playing both.

Chapter 1. General Overview

Chapter 2. Biogeochemical role of Algae

Chapter 3. Anatomy

Chapter 4. Photosynthesis

Chapter 5. Culturing

Chapter 6. Utilization

Chapter 7. Working with light

Index