Analysis of algae in fresh water – Flow Cytometry

Risks posed by algal blooms?

The nutrient enrichment of rivers and lakes from human activity is one of the major problems affecting freshwater ecology. Algal blooms generated by increased nutrient concentrations, lower flows and climate change can threaten ecosystems, human health and drinking water supply, and incur increased costs for water companies.

Greater understanding of the causes of algal blooms is needed, so that rivers, lakes and reservoirs can be most-effectively managed to secure water resources, safeguard their ecology, and benefit people and society.

At UKCEH we have developed a new technique that uses flow cytometry to quantify and characterise algal populations in freshwater.

Quantifying and characterising algae in freshwater

Flow cytometry is a laboratory technique that uses lasers to detect and measure physical and chemical properties of cells and particles. 
Our use of flow cytometry provides a much-needed, rapid, more sensitive and cost-effective way of counting algal cells in water samples than the traditional microscopy approaches. Our method is able to categorise phytoplankton into ten different types, including diatoms, chlorophytes, cryptophytes and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). These advantages can allow higher frequency monitoring than has previously been possible.

UKCEH’s Flow Cytometry Service can answer the following questions, and more. 

• How many algae are present in a water sample? 
• What types of algae are we dealing with and in what relative concentrations? 
• How do I interpret these data to understand the dynamics of this ecosystem and for effective catchment management? 
• How do the algal populations change over time? 

We are able to compliment this Service with measurements of other parameters (such as dissolved organic carbon, total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, dissolved silicon and nitrate). These are helpful in the interpretation of the Flow Cytometry results, providing additional insights, so answering the question -    ‘What else may be having an influence?’ 

The Flow Cytometry Service could benefit all those who are involved with the management of rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs, from the water industry, consultancies, Rivers Trusts, charities and researchers to local groups and individuals.

Contact us for further details and to explore opportunities to collaborate.

Freshwater sample analysis

Our Flow Cytometry analysis:

• provides an absolute count of cells/ml in a water sample
• identifies which of the following ten major groups of phytoplankton are present: diatom/large chlorophytes (one combined group), nano- and pico-size diatom/chlorophytes (three groups), cryptophytes (two groups) and cyanobacteria (four groups, including microcystis-like, synechococcus-like and phycoerythrin-rich cyanobacter).  

Our service

We can tailor our freshwater analysis service, which is offered from our laboratories in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, to meet your requirements:

1. Raw data on cell count and type of algae.
2. Raw data on cell count and type of algae with basic interpretation.
3. Raw data on cell count and type of algae with contextual analysis report and metadata.
4. Raw data on cell count and type of algae, together with additional eutrophication linked assessments of dissolved organic carbon, total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, dissolved silicon and nitrate to give wider expert algal insights,  presented with contextual analysis report and metadata.
5. Bespoke research project/collaboration.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements and request a quote.

Projects

Academic papers where flow cytometry was used to characterise river phytoplankton:

• ‘Weekly flow cytometric analysis of riverine phytoplankton to determine seasonal bloom dynamics’ https://doi.org/10.1039/C3EM00657C 
• Characterisation of a major phytoplankton bloom in the River Thames (UK) using flow cytometry and high performance liquid chromatography https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.128 

The Thames Initiative Project: please see ‘Biological monitoring/Phytoplankton monitoring’.