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Asian Fisheries Society, Manila, Philippines

Available online at www.asianfisheriessociety.org

Short Communication

Two Important Techniques for Isolation of

Microalgae
M. PARVIN*, M.N. ZANNAT and M.A.B. HABIB*
Department of Aquaculture
Bangladesh Agricultural University
Mymensingh 2202 Bangladesh

Abstract
Microalgae (phytoplankton) plays a very important role as live food for aquatic
organisms. However, out of the 80,000 species of microalgae, only 50-60 species are
commercially important as live food and for other nutritional purposes. Moreover, these
microalgae are available in freshwater as well as marine water which should be isolated
first and then used for monoculture or production for use as live food or for other commercial purposes. There are two important cosmopolitan methods worldwide for the
isolation of microalgae and then pure culture. These two methods are: Micropipette
Washing Technique and Centrifuge Washing and Streak Plating Technique which are
described in detail for the isolation of microalgae in the Materials and Methods section, to
make these methods available to researchers. So far, there is no available published
literature about a reliable, easily understandable technique for the isolation of phytoplankton and or microalgae in our library nor in our country. Researchers as well as students are
having a hard time obtaining the same from their localities. Therefore, with the aim in
view of producing a manual discussing these two important techniques to isolate microalgae using clear and simple language and easily available, this paper is prepared.

Corresponding authors. Tel.: +880 91 55815; Fax: +880 91 55810

E-mail address: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Introduction
It is widely recognized that microalgae can be used as feed for
animals and may be a rich source of high quality protein supplement for
human food (Burford and Preston 1994; Habib 1998). Their nutritional
values have been substantiated by a large number of studies and compare
well with conventional food products. The various biotechnological improvements that are now in progress will result to an increase in the productivity of microalgal cultures and a decrease in production costs (Sasson
1997).
The constant increase in aquaculture production and the intensification of the process have raised the need for a mass culture of particular commercial species and a larger supply of that particular microalgae
than just the amount that can be harvested from natural habitats. At present, most hatcheries produce their own microalgae on site and some of
them have developed the process of selling algal concentrate to other
hatcheries. Therefore, there is no doubt that isolated important microalgae
play an important role in aquaculture development. In this regard, the
methods used are well known in different countries of the world but these
are not well known and easily available to researchers in Bangladesh. It is
very essential to publish appropriate methods for isolation of microalgae
and make these available to researchers in the country. Hence, the present
work was undertaken to discuss two important techniques (methods) for
the isolation of microalgae.

Materials and Methods

Collection of microalgae
The microalgal (phytoplankton) samples will first be collected from
ponds. Thirty liters of water will be collected from different depths of pond
and pass through an upward series of plankton nets of mesh sizes 10, 30
and 120 m (Bolting silk no. 55) to collect different useful species from
the sample. The collected samples will be first taken in vials containing
sterile nutrient solution (Bold basal medium for freshwater microalgae, and
Conway medium for marine and coastal water microalgae). It is important
to note that the collected microalgae should be kept in nutrient solution to
keep them alive and to allow them to grow. Some samples will be concen-

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trated to 20 ml, preserved in 10% buffered formalin (10 ml conc. formalin;

4.0 g NaH2PO4, H2O; 6.50 g Na2HPO4 and volume made to 100 ml with
distilled or deionized water) and transported to the laboratory for identification. The algae will be identified up to species to know the diversity and
abundance, and counted using Sedgewick Rafter Counting Chamber (Boyd
1990) under an inverted divert microscope following the keys of Pennak
(1978), Pontin (1978), Prescott (1984), Bold and Wynne (1978), Yamagishi (1992) and Vymazal (1995). Among the established techniques used
for the isolation of microalgae, the following two important cosmopolitan
methods are described.

Micropipette Washing Technique (Phang and Chu 1999)

Preparation of micropipette: The tip of a glass pasteur pipette will be
heated first in a flame and stretched when it has become soft. The tip of the pipette will be broken using a pair of fine forceps. The micropipettes will be
plugged with some cotton, sterilized at 126C for 15 minutes and attached to a
piece of soft rubber tubing when ready for use. These will be used to pick up
single cells from the collected sample under a microscope.

Washing Technique: The collected microalgal samples will be put

in either sterile Bold basal medium (BBM) (for freshwater algae) or Conway medium (CM; for marine algal sample) right after collection. A
micropipette will be used to pick up individual cells through repeated try
and error method. Ten drops of sterile BBM or CM will be placed in the
groove of a glass slide. Then a drop of the microalgal sample will be added
and observed under an inverted microscope. Having confirmed the target
organism, one drop of the sample will be transferred to the next one. The
procedure will be repeated several times so as to wash it with sterile water
and to isolate single cell in pure form and to make it free from contamination (Hoshaw and Rosowski 1973; James 1978; Guillard 1995). Thus
the isolated microalgal species will be allowed to grow in either BBM or
CM and maintained in the laboratory. For their propagation and long time
preservation, the single cell will also be put in agar plate, broth culture and
test tube in the laboratory. This technique may not be highly appropriate
because it is not possible to make the single cell free from contamination,
so streak-plating technique should be followed to get a bacteria free single
cell. For easier understanding, the procedure is expressed through this flow
chart:

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Collection of microalgae using 10, 30 & 120 m plankton nets

Keep in 50 ml plastic bottle

Mix with at least 20 ml sterile BBM/CM

Bring quickly to the laboratory
Prepare 8 small sterile bottles containing 10 ml sterile BBM/CM each

Put 10 drops of sterile water in the groove of a glass slide

Take one drop from a stored microalgae in groove

Pick up cells of microalgae by micropippette

(Using microscope)
Put in the groove of another slide and mix

Pick up single cell and put in 10 ml small bottles

(Mix thoroughly)
Repeat the process to confirm pick up of single cell

Make it free from microorganism through repeated centrifuge-washing

and streak plating technique

Allow to grow in sterile nutrient water (BBM/CM) for future use

Centrifuge Washing and Streak Plating Technique (Phang and

Chu 1999)
Preparation of agar plate: Agar plates will be prepared by dissolving 2% agar (w/v) in either BBM or CM. These plates will be autoclaved at
126C for 15 minutes. Then these plates will be allowed to cool down and
5 ml warm agar medium will be put in the plates. These plates will be

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allowed to cool, kept in inverted position for not drying and at least 72 hrs
before streaking.

Centrifuge Washing Technique (Purification of algal samples)

A volume of 12 ml microalgal sample will be taken especially from
enrichment culture in each of at least four centrifuge tubes. These tubes
will be centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes. After removing the supernatant, the cells will be suspended in fresh sterile water in each tube using
vortex mixer (rotated at 1000-1500 rpm up to homogeneous suspension).
About 500 ml sterile water will be prepared using autoclave (at 126C for
15 minutes) to complete centrifuge-washing process. Centrifugation and
washing will be repeated for six times to expel most of the microorganisms
presented in algal sample and the cells will be then streaked on to agar
plates.

Streak Plating Technique (Phang and Chu 1999)

Washed microalgae will be allowed to streak through loop in plates
in axenic condition and to keep for at least seven days to grow microalgae.
Repeated streak-platings will be carried out to peak up single colony from
earlier streaked plates and to make free from bacteria. From last streaked
plates, the single colonies will be picked up by loop and allowed to grow in
tubes and vials. Before putting in the tubes and vials, the single cell growth
and purity of single species will be confirmed after observing under microscope. Then, the pure culture of isolated microalgae will be maintained in
BBM in tube, vial and volumetric flask in the laboratory for further use and
study. Following the above procedure, the important microalgae will be
isolated, allowed to grow in BBM and maintained in the laboratory. For
easy understanding the process is expressed through the following chart:

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Collection of microalgae using 10, 30 & 120 m plankton nets

Keep in 50 ml plastic bottle

Mix with at least 20 ml sterile either sterile BBM/CM

(Bring quickly to the laboratory)
Mix with sterile water
Put into 4 centrifuge tubes

Centrifuge at 5000 rpm for 5 minutes

Through the supernatant

Mix the residue with equal volume of sterile water using vortex

Centrifuge again at 5000 rpm for 5 minutes

Repeat this process for at least 3 times to make free from bacteria

Streak the microalgae by loop on the agar plate

Allow microalgal cells to grow

Streak again microalgal cell in new plates

Repeat this process as long as it is free from contamination

Put single cell in sterile BBM /CM in tubes and vials

Allow microalgae to grow for future use

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Discussion
These two techniques are not so easy to follow and to complete the
work smoothly. The work should be done very carefully. However, the
pure culture will not be free from contamination when Micropipette Washing Technique will be used. To make the isolated microalgae free from
contamination, Centrifuge Washing Technique should be used for freshwater, and marine as well as coastal water samples (Phang and Chu 1999). It
is hopeful that these two techniques will be easily available to researchers
and scientists for their work.

Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to BAURES, Bangladesh Agricultural
University, Mymensingh for providing the funds to carry out this research
work. Thanks are also due to the persons concerned at the Departments of
Aquaculture and Fisheries Management for giving the permission to work
in their laboratories.

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Received: May 12, 2006; Accepted: June 21, 2006