Are Algae the Future Source of Enzymes?

Various proteins and enzymes produced during algal photosynthesis can be used in economic development and environment management, such as in wastewater treatment, production of fine chemicals, and biodiesel production. This mini-review presents various enzymes isolated from algae and suggests that algae, given their unique properties, could be explored for large-scale production of enzymes as future biocatalyst factories. Highlights • Various proteins and enzymes are produced during algal photosynthesis. • Algae use phosphoglycolate phosphatase and glycolate oxidase as metabolizing enzymes. • Algae possess the ability to produce commercial enzymes. • Out of the 10,000 algae species, only a few are cultivated on an industrial scale. • Algal wastes can be manipulated and recycled for production of various enzymes.