Introduction to project MIDTAL: its methods and samples from Arcachon Bay, France

Microalgae worldwide regularly cause harmful effects, considered from the human perspective, in that they cause health problems and economic damage to fisheries and tourism. Cyanobacteria cause similar problems in freshwaters. These episodes encompass a broad range of phenomena collectively referred to as "harmful algal blooms" (HABs). For adequate management of these phenomena, monitoring of microalgae is required. However, effective monitoring is time-consuming because cell morphology as determined by light microscopy may be insufficient to give definitive species and toxin attribution. In the European Union FP7 project MIDTAL (Microarrays for the Detection of Toxic Algae), we achieved rapid species identification using rRNA genes as the target. These regions can be targeted for probe design to recognise species or even strains. We also included antibody reactions to specific toxins produced by these microalgae because, even when cell numbers are low, toxins can be present and can accumulate in the shellfish. Microarrays are the state-of-the-art technology in molecular biology for the processing of bulk samples for detection of target RNA/DNA sequences. After 36 months, we have completed RNA-cell number-signal intensity calibration curves for 18 HAB species and the analysis of monthly field samples from five locations from year 1. Results from one location, Arcachon Bay (France), are reported here and compared favourably with cell counts in most cases. In general, the microarray was more sensitive than the cell counts, and this is likely a reflection in the difference in water volume analysed with the volume filtered for the microarray an order of magnitude greater.