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A Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy Assay of Protein-Protein Interactions at Cell-Cell Contacts
Published on: December 1, 2018
A model for correcting the fluorescence signal from a free-falling depth profiler
Jens Schimanski1, Martin Beutler, Christian Moldaenke
1Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, Leibnizstr. 11, 24098 Kiel, Germany.
Water Research
|April 7, 2006
Summary
This study developed algorithms to accurately measure phytoplankton concentrations using chlorophyll fluorescence, even in moving water samples. The method is crucial for analyzing dark-adapted phytoplankton cells.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Marine biology
- Phytoplankton ecology
Background:
- Phytoplankton group discrimination is essential for understanding marine ecosystems.
- Chlorophyll fluorescence measurement at multiple wavelengths offers a promising method for this discrimination.
- Free-falling depth profilers present unique challenges for in-situ fluorescence measurements due to sample movement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the challenges of phytoplankton discrimination using a free-falling depth profiler.
- To develop and validate mathematical algorithms for calculating phytoplankton concentrations from fluorescence signals in flowing suspensions.
- To assess the reliability of these algorithms under different conditions, particularly for dark-adapted cells.
Main Methods:
- Measuring chlorophyll fluorescence at five distinct wavelengths.
- Developing mathematical algorithms to account for varying light history within the measuring cell of a falling probe.
- Comparing model predictions with experimental measurements of known phytoplankton groups (chlorophyta, cyanobacteria, cryptophyta, diatoms) in flowing suspensions.
Main Results:
- The developed algorithms enable the calculation of individual phytoplankton group concentrations from integral fluorescence signals.
- The algorithms account for the impact of different light histories on fluorescence induction curves in moving samples.
- Model predictions showed good agreement with experimental data, demonstrating the reliability of the algorithms for flowing suspensions.
Conclusions:
- The developed algorithms are effective for discriminating phytoplankton groups using chlorophyll fluorescence from a free-falling depth profiler.
- Accurate phytoplankton concentration measurements are achievable even with the complexities of flowing samples.
- The application of these algorithms is particularly vital for analyzing dark-adapted phytoplankton cells for ecological studies.

