Preservation of unicellular green algae by a liquid-drying method
- Journal of MicroBiological Methods, 18(1), p.41-49, 1993 .
Successful drying of fresh water unicellular green algae (Chlorococcales)for long-term maintenance and preservation is described. The cultures of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgaris, Selenastrum capricornutum, Scenedesmus subspicatus and Euglena gracilis which are generally used for ecotoxicity testing were freeze-dried and liquid-dried. The liquid-dried cells proved viable and stable after reactivation. There was a slight drop in viability during one year storage at -30°C. However, poor viabilities were demonstrated after freeze-drying. The method is first of its kind which is applicable for the drying of eukaryotic algae. The dried cells can be stored at low cost with out specialized equipment for a long time and within few days of reactivation a fresh inoculum (pre-culture with normal cells)can be obtained easily for ecotoxicity testing and other purposes.