Laboratory of culture and analysis of unicellular algae

The laboratory provides an integrated system for culture, growth synchronization and analysis of physiological parameters of unicellular algae. The laboratory includes multi-station photobioreactors for algal culture and toxicological analysis with the possibility of obtaining synchronous cultures; apparatus and equipment for population and cell growth analysis, analysis of photosynthetic and respiration efficiency, biomass collection, fixation and storage, isolation and analysis of photosynthetic dyes, proteins, nucleic acids, pretreatment, separation and concentration of cell extracts/filters. Potential application of the laboratory includes analyses of stress conditions on physiological and biochemical parameters of algae, study of phytotoxic effects of anthropogenic pollution on unicellular algae, analysis of the algal cell cycle (including under stress conditions), large-scale algal culture for production and isolation of secondary metabolites, lipids and recombinant proteins (the Department has permission to work with GMM/GMO) as well as optimization of culture conditions for selected algal strains, including environmental isolates.