Installation of Operational Processes for the Establishment of Microalgal Culture Collection

Microalgae are the most common photosynthetic organisms  which are available in all aquatic systems . Microalgae cultures are used in a wide variety of industries due to their valuable chemical compounds. Today microalgae are widely used in scientific research, as learning resources for students and as raw materials for industry. The science world and the industry need cultures which are pure and identified with all of their characteristics in order to utilise in those areas. Therefore, the microalgae culture collections isolating and preserving microalgae cultures are needed worldwide. Considering these important functions of cultural collections, efforts to create the Algal Culture Collection started at Ahi Evran University (AEU-CCA). Our culture collection consists of totally 19 microalgae species belonging to the phylums of Cyanobacteria,Chlorophyta, Charophyta and and Bacillariophyta. Collecting microalgae from fresh water bodies, their identification, isolation and arrangement of culture conditions have begun to be carried out and it is a still-continuing process.  While the microalgae are preserved in broth medium by sub-culturing, their long-term preservation studies through cryopreservation have begun.  The present study mainly aims to put isolated microalgae species at the disposal of scientific communities, to conduct biotechnological studies and to arrange the microalgae culture collection in order to maintain biological diversity.