Hydrobiologia

, 636:489 | Cite as

The Estela Sousa e Silva Algal Culture Collection: a resource of biological and toxicological interest

  • Sérgio Paulino
  • Filomena Sam-Bento
  • Catarina Churro
  • Elsa Alverca
  • Elsa Dias
  • Elisabete Valério
  • Paulo Pereira
Short research note
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Abstract

The Estela Sousa e Silva Algal Culture Collection (ESSACC) is the legacy of nearly 40 years of the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA) scientific and public activity in marine and freshwater phytoplankton biology and toxicology. The living isolates maintained in the ESSACC are mostly represented by marine dinoflagellates and freshwater cyanobacteria strains isolated from bloom occurrences in Portugal. More than 170 isolates comprising the most frequently found species have been obtained from environmental samples and are successfully cultured at INSA facilities. Moreover, new isolates are continuously being added to the collection, following new detection of natural blooms. Although not intended to represent the entire range of taxonomical different species occurring in Portuguese environments, the ESSACC includes a wide array of geographical, morphological, physiological, and ecological relevant isolates. So far, laboratory up-scaled culturing has been put in place for several purposes, including the production of secondary metabolites, purification of toxins, detection of toxin producing strains by molecular methods, screening for cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of purified compounds, testing for antialgal activity of organic compounds, and evaluating the combining effects of environmental factors on biomass and toxin production. We are disseminating information about this collection since it is an important wide source of readily available and easy to manipulate biological material for research purposes within the scientific community.

Keywords

Cyanobacteria Dinoflagellates Culture collection 
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Supplementary material

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Sérgio Paulino
    • 1
  • Filomena Sam-Bento
    • 1
  • Catarina Churro
    • 1
  • Elsa Alverca
    • 1
  • Elsa Dias
    • 1
  • Elisabete Valério
    • 1
  • Paulo Pereira
    • 1
  1. 1.Laboratório de Biologia e Ecotoxicologia, Departamento de Saúde AmbientalInstituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo JorgeLisbonPortugal

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