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What is the context of this research?

Molecular biology could revolutionize the identification of algae, including by finding new species, cataloging regional flora, or revising their taxonomy. A popular method for identifying algae utilizes short DNA regions called molecular barcodes, which can be easily amplified in many species and are simple to analyze (e.g. with BLAST). However, in freshwater green algae, the ideal barcode has not been determined. Vieira (2016) claims the tufA gene region to be the best, but Hall et al. (2010) concluded that none of those they tested were ideal. On the other hand, successes in other groups of algae, such as the ITS2 marker for diatoms as determined by Moniz and Kaczmarksa (2009), suggest that there is still hope for green algae to benefit from this technology.

What is the significance of this project?

Finding a good molecular barcode for freshwater green algae would make it possible to identify them at a much lower cost and with greater ease than current microscopic methods. This can aid in the study of lesser-known groups of algae, including discovering new or cryptic species . Massively-parallel sequencing methods can be used for environmental assessments or ecological surveys. Studying the speciation of algae can also help modernize their taxonomy and clear up their evolutionary history and relationships to other autotrophs. In addition, advances in the molecular biological study of algae may aid in applied or commercial research, including the genetic engineering of algae for biofuel and food production, waste management use, and fertilizer optimization.

What are the goals of the project?

The primary goal of this project is to test about 6 promising molecular barcode candidates in a random selection of about 20 species of wild freshwater green algae. Using PCR, the barcodes will be amplified from the algae and then sequenced. The barcodes will be used to try and identify the algae without microscopic aid. All of the sequences of one type of barcode will then be used to construct phylogenetic trees (with 6 unique trees total), which will then be compared to the latest taxonomic model of green algae to evaluate their accuracy.

A secondary goal of this project is to sequence the chloroplast genome of a few species of algae. This will allow for the comparison of large portions of DNA and possibly aid in developing new barcode regions.