Cyanobacterial Biodiversity and Biotechnology: A Promising Approach for Crop Improvement

Cyanobacteria due to their remarkable evolutionary advances such as the presence of oxygenic photosynthesis have been considered as an ideal system for plant-based studies in order to assess fundamental biochemical processes like carbon and nitrogen assimilation and photosynthesis processes. Moreover, the exclusive ability of both photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation together with adaptability to various environmental fluctuations of few genera makes them ubiquitous. Cyanobacterial genes involved in carbon metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and pigment biosynthesis have been exploited as substitute for homologous gene sources, targeting enhanced plant productivity and nutritional values. Present chapter sheds light on key contributions of cyanobacterial biodiversity and biotechnology along with the future prospects for developing transgenic crops of high yield and nutritive value utilizing cyanobacterial genes.