Scientists isolate new marine species at National institute of oceanography
RELATED
PANAJI: Marine life does exist in the hypersaline salt pans with salinity levels ten times higher than the sea.
Scientists from council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR) and National institute of oceanography (NIO) have further confirmed this, isolating a new species of Tetraselmis indica Arora & Anil from nanoplankton culled from salt pans in Panaji for studies in the laboratory.
"This species is from the genus of Tetraselmis, which is known to grow in brackish, fresh water and marine environment. It is closely related to the unidentified Tetraselmis strains found in a salt lake in North America," says A C Anil, chief scientist at NIO's ocean finder project.
"We brought this isolate from salt pans and grew it in the laboratory using normal sea water conditions, but they can survive and grow here too," Anil said.
The salinity levels in the network of ponds can rise up to 350 parts per thousand during the formation of salt in summer. But this is not the only severe condition, as the temperatures in the shallow water tend to soar from 28.5 degrees Celsius to up to 48.2 degrees C.
"It is interesting how this algae, T indica, can grow in highly saline conditions. It also goes into a cyst stage in unfavourable conditions for survival," Anil said.
The mobile cells measure 10 to 25 micrometre long, 7 to 20 micrometre wide and 6 to 18 micrometre thick. They are oval in shape, and may swim for a few minutes almost in a straight line or a slightly curved path, using its flagella before settling. They move towards light, as they are influenced by it, the study states.
The NIO scientists, who collaborated with researchers from Newcastle University, United Kingdom and Ghent University, Belgium on certain aspects of their work, are upbeat about the find. The organism can be used as a candidate for some type of commercial purposes uses and further research. "We need to study the possibility of culturing it en masse and evaluate its use for aquaculture and biofuel," he said.
But for this, the algae's physiology will have to be explored further. "We want to describe its biology soon and further look at evolutionary linkages," Anil explained.
How frequently this algae divides, the pattern of division or multiplication, and what is its ancestral linkage, are some of the aspects that are being pursued in the study. "It is important from evolutionary point of view, because this algae is primitive in nature and it gives an indication as to how algae or organisms have transformed themselves," he said.
Scientists from council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR) and National institute of oceanography (NIO) have further confirmed this, isolating a new species of Tetraselmis indica Arora & Anil from nanoplankton culled from salt pans in Panaji for studies in the laboratory.
"This species is from the genus of Tetraselmis, which is known to grow in brackish, fresh water and marine environment. It is closely related to the unidentified Tetraselmis strains found in a salt lake in North America," says A C Anil, chief scientist at NIO's ocean finder project.
"We brought this isolate from salt pans and grew it in the laboratory using normal sea water conditions, but they can survive and grow here too," Anil said.
The salinity levels in the network of ponds can rise up to 350 parts per thousand during the formation of salt in summer. But this is not the only severe condition, as the temperatures in the shallow water tend to soar from 28.5 degrees Celsius to up to 48.2 degrees C.
"It is interesting how this algae, T indica, can grow in highly saline conditions. It also goes into a cyst stage in unfavourable conditions for survival," Anil said.
The mobile cells measure 10 to 25 micrometre long, 7 to 20 micrometre wide and 6 to 18 micrometre thick. They are oval in shape, and may swim for a few minutes almost in a straight line or a slightly curved path, using its flagella before settling. They move towards light, as they are influenced by it, the study states.
The NIO scientists, who collaborated with researchers from Newcastle University, United Kingdom and Ghent University, Belgium on certain aspects of their work, are upbeat about the find. The organism can be used as a candidate for some type of commercial purposes uses and further research. "We need to study the possibility of culturing it en masse and evaluate its use for aquaculture and biofuel," he said.
But for this, the algae's physiology will have to be explored further. "We want to describe its biology soon and further look at evolutionary linkages," Anil explained.
How frequently this algae divides, the pattern of division or multiplication, and what is its ancestral linkage, are some of the aspects that are being pursued in the study. "It is important from evolutionary point of view, because this algae is primitive in nature and it gives an indication as to how algae or organisms have transformed themselves," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment