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Cawthron Micro-algae Culture Collection

Cawthron Micro-algae Culture Collection Lesley Rhodes Manager Biosecurity Gp: Mike Taylor Curator: Krystyna Ponikla. Cawthron Micro-algae Culture Collection. Began with personal collections in 1980s FRST funded from 1995; purpose built facility

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Cawthron Micro-algae Culture Collection

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  1. Cawthron Micro-algae Culture CollectionLesley RhodesManager Biosecurity Gp: Mike TaylorCurator: Krystyna Ponikla

  2. Cawthron Micro-algae Culture Collection • Began with personal collections in 1980s • FRST funded from 1995; purpose built facility • 1996: FRST recommended registration as NDB • Catalogue of strains in Jan. 2003 lists: • 8 classes of micro-algae; >150 isolates

  3. Underpins harmful algae research This year already 16 requests (67 micro-algae) Last 5 years 65 requests Programmes directly dependent on collection: • Harmful algae bloom technologies - new bioactive compounds - biotoxin standards - DNA probe development - training • Micro-algae for medical products

  4. Valuable compounds produced • Saxitoxin, gonyautoxins • Domoic acid • Brevetoxins • Okadaic acid, diol esters • Yessotoxin • Pectenotoxin • Azaspiracid • Palytoxin, ostreocin • Cooliatoxin • Cyanotoxins • etc……

  5. New compounds – but are they of human concern? • Yessotoxin (polyether) – from collection grew 400 L to retrieve 140 mg YTX (plus >60 analogs)

  6. Key end-users • NZ shellfish industry (biotoxin detection methods / risk assessments for harvesters) • NZ finfish industry (risk assessments) • Research groups – national and international “… according to the number of strains you hold (@150) you would be highly ranked in the Asia-Pacific region, in which there are about 20 collections listing micro-algae.” Ian Jameson, CSIRO, Hobart.

  7. Future developments • Cryopreservation of algal strains to: • preserve toxicity • reduce labour • reduce costs • More trained staff to relieve burden on one curator! • Key issue is insecurity of collection due to contestable funding

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