Molecular Characterization of the Toxic Pyrodinium Alga

ISBN-13: 9783847349426 / Angielski / Miękka / 96 str.

Grace Joy Chin Wei Lie; Teoh Peik Lin; Ann Anton

Opis

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), for which the causative organism is Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum, are a frequent phenomenon in the coastal waters of tropical regions. The species produces a paralytic shellfish toxin which has been linked to neurological symptoms and human fatalities. The identification of the causal species Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum in field samples is difficult because the bloom does not discolor the water and the species occur in low cell densities. Identification and enumeration of the harmful algae using light microscopy is time-consuming and tedious when detecting the target species among the complex natural communities in the sample. Therefore, development of a DNA probe for specific HAB species can assist in rapid identification, which contributes to the early detection of toxic blooms.

O autorze

Grace Joy received her B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences from University of Malaya and her M.Sc. in Molecular Biology from Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Currently, she is a lecturer at the Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Her current research focuses on molecular characterizing micro- and macro-algae found in Sabah, Malaysia.