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DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH THROUGHPUT MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE PRESENCE OF CYANOBACTERIA**

Abstract

We are developing a high throughput system for the simultaneous extraction and measurement of chlorophyll and phycocyanin from water samples collected from the environment. Extraction is biphasic, using octanol and water in a mixture along with a filter upon which algae and or cyanobacteria been collected . A high throughput monitoring system for detecting and measuring cyanobacteria in environmental water involves optimizing many aspects. We report here progress in the optimization of several parameters. These areas include the selection of filters for the collection of algae from water and the freeze-thaw effect as part of the extraction process. The use of glass fiber filters in the collection and subsequent extraction procedures was shown to present two problems: 1) the filters absorb so much water during extraction that the resulting bulk impedes the removal of the aqueous layer in the 2 ml vials used in the extraction procedure; 2) phycocyanin tends to bind to the glass fiber filters, thus leading to the underestimation of the amount of phycocyanin. We have found filters that perform better than glass fiber filters. Also, addressed with data is a demonstration of the quantitative release of phycocyanin from the cyanobacterial species Limnothrix and the effect of freeze-thawing on the extraction of phycocyanin. This research is supported by the Biology Department of East Georgia State College.

Acknowledgements

USG STEM IV grant for undergraduate research to East Georgia State College

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