Ecology of Chlamydomona

Ecology In Chlamydomona
An ecosystem consists of both all the populations of organisms and all of the non–living factors in
that given area. Ecosystems are affected by both abiotic and biotic factors. These factors include pH,
temperature, nitrate, phosphate, gas exchange, and light intensity (Wischusen). The ecosystem
studied in this experiment was the LSU Lake System, in particular, the LSU University Lake. Two
experiments were conducted involving the population ecology and community ecology of the LSU
University Lake. Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the
environment (Campbell and Reece 2011). Specifically, growth of the organism Chlamydomonas
was studied and observed. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is the scientific name for a type of
unicellular ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In healthy lakes and streams, nutrients are needed for the growth of alar that forms the base of a
complex food web supporting the entire aquatic ecosystem (Lindberg 2012). Based off of this
background information, a second experiment was conducted to study the community ecology
within the LSU University Lake. This experiment arose interest in observing the amount of
ammonia (abiotic factor) in the lake water and its effect on the concentration of chlorophyll (biotic
factor). The data retrieved in this experiment lead to the question, if there is an increase in the
amount of ammonia in the LSU University Lake, would that result in an increase of chlorophyll
concentration due to an increase in nutrient availability? The null hypothesis states that in an aquatic
ecosystem, the different levels of ammonia will have no effect on the concentration of chlorophyll
present in the University Lake. Inversely, the alternative hypothesis states that in an aquatic
ecosystem, the different levels of ammonia will have an effect on the concentration of chlorophyll
present in the University
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Mgc Practical Four Write Up. Brianna Golder-Dewar. A1721816.
MGC Practical Four Write Up
Brianna Golder–Dewar a1721816 Words
Title
Measuring the Rate Oxygen Production using an Oxygen Electrode Chamber in Photosynthesis of
Spinacia oleracea with Varying Light Intensities
Introduction
Light intensity is a key component in photosynthesis, amongst carbon dioxide and water to sustain a
suitable rate of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs the light, causing photoexcitation and the
formation of NADPH and ATP with production of O2 as a by–product. The Calvin Cycle takes the
NADPH and ATP to reduce CO2 into sugars (CH2O), and return NADP+ and ADP + Pi to the light
reactions. The process will then repeat. (Reece, et al, 2015)
A Dissolved Oxygen Electrode can detect the changes of oxygen production when ... Show more
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The graph shows a linear relationship between light intensity between 0–150 µmoles photons m–2s–
1 until the rate of oxygen production slowed between 150–350 µmoles photons m–2s–1, it then
slightly decreased, due to possible calculation error.
Discussion
Figure one demonstrates that when light intensity increases, there is an increase in oxygen. This
occurs due to lights effect on the photosystem II ability to transfer electrons and hydrogen ions from
water to NADP+. An increase of light, increases the rate of water splitting within the chloroplasts,
producing the O2 by–product. (Reece, et al, 2015) (Ping et al, 2015)
The true oxygen production was determined by the assumption that respiration is constant. By
conducting the experiment without a light source on the Spinacia oleracea it allowed the rate of
oxygen consumption to be determined. (De Luca, et al 2011) Aerobic respiration occurring in the
mitochondria causes the consumption of oxygen in the process of glycolysis to form adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) and continue onto the citric acid cycle and then electron transport chain (Khan
Academy, 2017). Once the oxygen is consumed, glycolysis will then use fermentation to produce
ATP becoming anaerobic respiration. In the absence of oxygen, aerobic respiration will cease, as
fermentation will result in the production in lactate or ethanol, neither can continue into the citric
acid cycle. A measurement of O2

Alga Produced Cholera Toxin-Pfs25 Fusion Proteins As Oral...
Alga–Produced Cholera Toxin–Pfs25 Fusion Proteins as Oral Vaccines
James A. Gregory, Aaron B. Topol, David Z. Doerner, Stephen Mayfield
Division of Biological Sciences and the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
Third world countries have abysmal hygiene standards and biological protections with little or no
access to health care and medical facilities. Governments and charities have spent decades
attempting to rectify this situation with vaccinations, setting up clean water supplies, education for
those affected as well as medical training however while this has made a considerable impact these
problems are still on going. With the high cost of producing/refining ... Show more content on
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Monoclonal antibodies directed against native Pfs25 can block completely the development of P.
falciparum oocysts in the midgut of the mosquito vector. Thus, this 25–kD protein is a potential
vaccine candidate for eliciting transmission–blocking immunity in inhabitants of malaria endemic
regions.' (Barr, P.J et al, 1991)
Previous research from Barr,P.J et al, (1991) has provided a foundation for the study to use Pfs25
proteins as a potential vaccine candidate for malaria through mosquito vectors.
'Needle–free immunization can be accomplished by administering vaccines via mucosal (oral or
nasal) or transcutaneous routes or by parenteral injection using needle–free injection devices.'
(Levine MM, 2011).
'Needle–free vaccine delivery could aid in these mass vaccinations by increasing ease and speed of
delivery, and by offering improved safety and compliance, decreasing costs, and reducing pain
associated with vaccinations.' (Giudice, E., & Campbell, J. 2006.)
With third world issues such as HIV transmission and the need for some medical training
The research from Levine MM (2011) indicates that alternative methods to the traditional vaccines
through needle injection such as oral/nasal delivery would be better adapted for use in resource poor
countries.
'Production of this protein in algae has the potential to scale to the very large volumes required to
meet the needs of

How Microalgae Is Considered As The Third Generation Biomass
Abstract Microalgae is considered as the third generation biomass. Chlorophyta is the most common
type of microalgae and has a huge potential used in many fields. Key word: green algae, food
supplement, CO2 fixiation, wastewater treatment, hydrogen production Introduction In the early
1950's, the world's population increased dramatically due to the end of World War Ⅱ. The
predictions of an insufficient protein supply resulted in a search for new alternative and
unconventional sources. Algal biomass was considered as a good candidate for this purpose. Later,
the use of microalgae for generating renewable energy sources provoked heightened interest. From
1980 to 1996, the US Department of Energy supported the Aquatic Species Program (ASP) due to
the oil crisis in 1970's. The aim of the program was to produce oil from microalgae. Algae are
ubiquitous. Chlorophyta is one of major divisions of microalgae, and it is the most common type.
Chlorophyta is photosynthetic eukaryote. The cells of most green algae have a cellulose case, a
vacuole with a cell juice, differentiated mucleus and chloroplast. They are usually green due to the
dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, which absorb red light in shallow waters.
Most of green algae live in freshwater. Now the microalgae is considered as the third generation
biomass and can be used in many fields such as food supplement, wastewater treatment, hydrogen
production and biofuels. Researches focus on the green

Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Cells Research Paper
The effects environmental nitrogen concentration on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells.
Introduction
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a highly adaptive, eukaryotic single celled green algae able to
assimilate nitrogen in any forms (Harris, 2001). This nitrogen is used for a variety of purposes,
including the synthesis of chlorophyll, nucleic acids and proteins, and as such, is thought to play an
important role in growth (Grossman, 2000).
These algae are particularly important in the development of biofuels, as they produce lipids and
alcohols which can be burnt as fuels. The amount of carbon dioxide released by this process is equal
to the amount of carbon dioxide the algae takes in during photosynthesis, making it a sustainable
carbon neutral ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
reinhardtii grown cells at high nitrogen appeared smaller in area, darker in colour, less granular in
appearance and more numerous, than those grown at low nitrogen. Although, many of those grown
at low nitrogen concentrations appeared to have damage to the flagella; this was not the case with
the high nitrogen strain.
Cell Biovolume
It was found that the cells in the low nitrogen treatment had a higher mean cell biovolume (737.81
µm3) than the mean cell biovolume for cells in the high nitrogen treatment (546.72µm3) as shown
in figure 1. These values were based on the mean measurements of 25 replicate experiments from
each treatment, with each replicate based on the measurements of 4 cells.
However, the unpaired t–test performed on these results gave a t value of 1.026, indicating that the
difference in cell biovolume was not significant, where p<0.0001 showing that the difference
between lipid content of the two treatments is significant.
Discussion
These experiments showed that limiting nitrogen availability had a significant impact on C.
reinhardtii cell morphology, cell count, photosynthetic pigment content and lipid content. However,
it was also demonstrated that cell biovolume was not

Chlamydomona Reinhardtii Essay
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a single–celled alga species that appears very small and green, and
each cell has two extracellular flagella composed of microtubules. (Guanglin et al., 2007). Cells,
such as C. reinhardtii, rely on movement for survival because they require the ability to regulate
their surroundings. C. reinhardtii are great model organisms for studying microtubules. The flagellar
microtubules of these unicellular organisms can be effortlessly examined due to the fast growth
rates, the ability to view flagella under a microscope, the ability to deflagellate cell bodies, and the
ability to introduce mutations to assign functions to specific proteins (Fernandez et al., 2007). C.
reinhardtii are also effective in assessing which proteins are responsible for the eyespot's sensitivity
to light by observing phototactic responses in various mutant strains. Phototaxis refers to the
movement of a cell body in response to light. Positive phototaxis occurs when the organism moves
toward the light, whereas negative phototaxis refers to when the organism moves away from the
light (Greiner et al., 2012). Since humans and many other species have shared conserved sequences
essential to the proper flagellar function and structure, the information ... Show more content on
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The microtubule ultimately forms when the GTP bound to the β–tubulin is hydrolyzed (Agard et al.,
2008). Microtubules possess the property of dynamic instability, which refers to extended periods of
shortening that result in a period of growth. Dynamic instability also refers to the opposite situation
involving a span of extended growth, followed by a period of shortening. This shortening period is
commonly known as catastrophe (Cassimeris et al., 2005). Dynamic instability is essential to cell
movement, cell signaling, and mitotic chromosome separation (Cabral et al.,

Early College Application Essay Sample
I am writing to express my interest in the biology teaching position at Bard High School Early
College (BHSEC). I am currently holding a New York City initial certification in adolescent biology
education as well as a Master degree in Biology. I have experience teaching at a high school as well
as a college level. I believe that my experience and qualification is a great fit for this position.
As an educator, I am a strong advocate for hands on learning. I envision my classroom with students
actively learning by manipulating objects, preforming experiments, creating, presenting, teaching
one another, and most importantly connecting what they learned to the real world. This type of
instruction reaches students with different learning styles ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
In addition to completing my undergraduate and graduate education, I was participating in cellular
and molecular research conducted by Professors at CUNY–Brooklyn College. I have worked with
Graduate Deputy of Biology Department studying gene(s) that are involved in the fusion process of
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a single celled green algae. Currently, I have the pleasure to work as a
research assistant with Dr. Juergen Polle, a leading expert in microalgae biotechnology. Our research
focuses on photosynthesis, secondary carotenoid biosynthesis, and biofuels production of various
microalgae. These experiences remind me of the reason why I have a great appreciation and love for
science. And that is precisely what my ideal biology class would look like; a place where concept
are learned through research. From preforming experiments and critiquing the scientific work of
others to attending seminars, students should experience it all.
My passion for teaching and love for science is rooted in my desire to do something meaningful. I
look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience to further discuss my qualifications as
a high school biology teacher in your school. Thank you for your time and

A Study On The Field Of Neuroscience Essay
INTRODUCTION: Let There Be Light In the field of neuroscience, the endeavor to develop
technologies that allow minimally invasive, temporally and spatially precise, and genetically
specific neural activation has occupied the minds of neuroscientists for decades. To this end,
photostimulation techniques have been of particular interest. In the early 2000s, a set of light–gated
proteins called channelrhodopsins (ChRs) from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were
characterized1,2 and noted for their potential ability to depolarize cells in other biological systems.
In particular, channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2), a light–gated nonselective–cation channel, has proven to
be immensely useful. The genes expressing these photoreceptors have been used to introduce light–
activated channels into selective cell populations of vertebrates to optically induce neural activity3.
THE DARKER SIDE OF CHANNELRHODOPSINS ChRs in the context of optogenetics have
proven to be a valuable research tool, though their weaknesses must also be considered. While ChR
variants have been developed to improve channel function compared to ChR1 or ChR2, concessions
are often made in another area of their function4. For example, enhancing ChR channel kinetics
results in decreased photosensitivity. Correspondingly, modifications that enhance their sensitivity to
light result in slower kinetics, limiting the ability to reliably induce temporally precise action
potentials. ChR channel conductances are also

Genetic Engineering : Genetically Modified Organisms Essay
Cloning, landmine sensing plants, and fish that glow in the dark, are all realities when it comes to
the possibilities of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is the artificial modification of an
organisms genetic material with the help of biotechnology. This is capable of producing traits in an
organism that would never have occurred by naturally. Genetic engineering is possible because
genes are a universal language in life. Genes from one organism can be put in another organism, the
possibilities for genetic engineering are essentially endless (Dixon, 2013). Any organism that has
been altered through means of genetic engineering is referred to a GMO or genetically modified
organism. Genetic engineering is similar to breeding, but at the same time much different. Genes are
being selected for the same ways animals like dogs would be bred, however, with selective breeding
the same species are used and people are naturally selecting certain observable phenotypes and
breeding the two organisms to attempt to produce a desired result (Dixon, 2013). With genetic
engineering, genes can be artificially altered and genes from a variety of species can all be woven
into one organism (Dixon, 2013). Therefore, with genetic engineering having potentially no limits,
the only real constraints are scientists imaginations and also moral and ethical concerns. It is
important to understand the basis of genetic inheritance and the rules of inheritance, in which our
understanding today can

For Me, Scientific Research Was Like A Drug. The More I
For me, scientific research was like a drug. The more I immersed myself in it, the more my mind
wanted it. Before I knew it, I was an addict. But, instead of experiencing the negative side effects
that coincide with substance abuse, research has been a long–lasting positive journey of discovering
who I am and how the world around me functions. Being a first–generation college student, the
pressure for pursuing a career in medicine was high. Despite my passion for biology and science in
general, I knew early on that becoming a medical doctor was never an option for me because I
lacked the passion for that career path. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to stumble into thrilling
research experiences that, over time, ignited to everlasting ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
My research project used forward genetic approach to generate fusion–defective mutants. Although
UV radiation has been used as a method for generating mutants in Chlamydomonas, we utilized
random insertion using a linearized plasmid with an antibiotic cassette. The advantage of using this
approach is that, unlike UV–generated mutagenesis, this method could allow for the use of
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques to find the insertion site and locate the gene, which
when disturbed by the cassette, was responsible for the phenotype of interest. In my case, because I
was interested in finding the genes responsible for gamete fusion, I was focused on finding mutants
that could not mate.
There were many obstacles that I had to overcome while working on this project. To begin with,
transforming Chlamydomonas using the glass–beads method was not efficient. To overcome that,
multiple transformations were performed to accommodate for the low efficiency. However, later on,
a collaboration effort with another lab was accomplished, improving the transformation efficiency of
Chlamydomonas through electroporation. Moreover, because insertions were random, large
populations of mutants that were generated either bore insertions in sequences, such as intergenic
regions, that did not contribute significantly to the function of any gene, or generated undesirable

The Effect Of Sv40 T Antigen On Two Multiple Fission...
A side observation during initial attempts of applying SV40 T–antigen in two microalgal species
Ahmed E. Gomaa, Sameh Elsawy, Sang MiSun, Seung Hwan Yang, GyuhwaChung*
Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Chonnam 550–749, Republic of
Korea
Center for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Materials, Myongji University, Gyeonggi 449–728,
Republic of Korea
*Corresponding author
Gyuhwa Chung
E–mail: chung@chonnam.ac.kr
Phone: +82–61–659–7302
Fax: +82–61–659–7309
Running title: Effects of SV40 T antigen on two multiple fission microalgae ABSTRACT
Combination of Simian Virus40 (SV40) large T antigen and its replication origin is commonly used
to enhance the expression efficiency of heterogeneous genes in the host cell by increasing the copy
number. Most studies on SV40 large T antigen are focused on binary fissional yeast and animal
cells. Recently, it has been reported that the SV40 large T antigen interacts with specific cellular
proteins that cause slowing and even blocking of mitotic progression. There is no report related to
the impact of the SV40 Tantigen on plant "multiple fissional" cell–type. Thus, we were targeting the
possibility of using the SV40 combination in further studies to enhance the expression efficiency of
foreign genes in microalgal cells without using selective pressure. During the initial trails to apply
that strategy, we have noticed differences between the two microalgae species Chlorella Sp. and
Scenedesmus Sp. Three different

Comparity Between Mirnas And Patterns Between Plants And...
microRNAs (miRNAs) are one type of small RNAs. They are short, single–stranded polynucleotides
that involve in post–transcriptional gene regulation and transcription stability modulation. Scientists
are trying to understand the homology between miRNAs separated from different animals and plants
and the possible miRNA evolution patterns in distinct lineages. Modern technologies include
miRNA sequencing, polymer chain reactions (PCR), databases, etc. will assist various researches.
miRNAs of Chlorophyta and plants evolved independently. The degrees of complementarity
between miRNAs and their targets are different as plants always requires a more accurate
complementarity in post–transcriptional processes than animals. However, scientists ... Show more
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Trichoplax, the only extant phylum placozoa, is a basal group of Metazoa. They lack miRNA in
their small RNA pools so they would have an independent origin compared to all other animals with
miRNA expression. Choanoflagellates (Monosiga brevicollis) are one type of unicellular flagellate
eukaryotes that are the closest known outgroup to Metazoa. Similarily, Monosiga lacks all genes
specific to miRNA. (Grimson et al, 2008). As a result, animal miRNA evolution pathways are
dynamic as major miRNA sequences still differs among poriferans, cnidarians and bilaterians.
Other than miRNA sequences from different eukaryotes, several molecular evidences also provide
clues that helps imagine the evolution pathways of miRNAs.
First, piwi–interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are in the same class of small RNAs alone with miRNA,
both RNAs requires a class of enzymes called Dicer to modify them so coevolution between piRNA
and miRNA becomes possible. piRNAs are most abundantly expressed in Nematostella,
Amphimedon and some mammalians. Class I piRNAs, also called mammalian pachytene piRNAs
and class II piRNAs which used to silent some genes are both expressed in mammals and fruit flies
prove that these piRNA classes may exist since the origin of metazoans. The piRNA evolution
pattern states those two types of small riboregulators have been present since the very early stage of
animal life evolution and

The Internal Combustion Engine
1 Introduction
Since the advent of the internal combustion engine nearly two centuries ago, humans have become
increasingly reliant on fuel to power these engines. Our only method, historically, for obtaining this
fuel is to probe the earth and oceans until crude oil is struck. Crude oil is termed a fossil fuel as it
takes hundreds of millions of years to form. Crude oil is extracted from a geological reservoir and
subsequently refined into the various fuels which we use at ever increasing rates (petroleum, diesel,
aviation fuel etc). Unfortunately we are not finding new oil deposits at anything like the rates we are
consuming, so logically we will eventually run out. Many of the alternate energy sources currently
available (electric engines, fuel cells and ethanol) have low energy density and do not scale well to
larger vehicles like aeroplanes and trucks. Therefore finding new renewable sources of energy to
power our current and future devices is paramount to our continuation as a successful species.
This project focuses on the prokaryotic enzyme, diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 DGAT1 (not to be
confused with eukaryotic DGA1P a protein which provides the same function but is very different in
sequence and structure). This enzyme is encoded by the atf1 gene in Rhodococcus opacus PD630.
DGAT is important because it catalyses the final, rate limiting step, in the Kennedy pathway. This
step is the transfer of an acyl group from acyl–CoA to diacylglycerol, creating

Ferrochelatase: A Fusion Protein Analysis
In the present study the overall aim of this experimental series was to undertake the steps to
successfully clone and express a specific fusion protein from the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
The specific allocated RNA encoding gene that was extracted from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
named Ferrochelatase, will be expressed as a fusion protein into two individual strains of
Escherichia coli. Once the gene Ferrochelatase was extracted from the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
mRNA using reverse transcriptase RT–PCR, this allowed the cDNA to become amplified. This
cDNA was then cloned into a pET100/D–TOPO expression plasmid allowing the expression of
Ferrochelatase to be expressed as a fusion protein in two strains of Escherichia coli named BL21
(DE3) ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Even though chlorophyll is much more plentiful in many plants and alga haem also has an essential
function that serves in a variety of extensive plant metabolic reactions. Theses reactions consist of
oxidation reactions, oxygen homoeostasis and electron transfer. The final enzyme of haem
biosynthesis is ferrochelatase, as a result this catalyzes the incorporation of ferrous iron into
protoporphyrin number 9. (Gromoff ect al. 2008) Ferrochelatase is therefore on the branch point
between the two pathways and is essential in order for the pathway to successfully and correctly
complete the metabolic reaction for the organism to survive
This experemets objective was to successfully isolate Ferrochelatase from the alga Chlamydomonas
reinhardtii. It is known that Ferrochelatase is an essential component in plant and alga metabolic
pathways. The use of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to extract the Ferrochelatase and the allocation of
the expression plasmids in Escherichia coli is deemed to be very suitable as both are reliable and
easy to manipulated organisms to experiment on in lab based scientific experiments and

Ecology of Chlamydomona

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