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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Strategies and ecological roles of algicidal bacteria
Nils Meyer1, Arite Bigalke1, Anett Kaulfuß1
1Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
Abstract:
In both freshwater and marine ecosystems, phytoplankton are the most dominant primary producers, contributing substantially to aquatic food webs. Algicidal bacteria that can associate to microalgae from the phytoplankton have the capability to control the proliferation and even to lyse them. These bacteria thus play an important role in shaping species composition in pelagic environments. In this review, we discuss and categorise strategies used by algicidal bacteria for the attack on microalgae. We highlight the complex regulation of algicidal activity and defence responses that govern alga-bacteria interactions. We also discuss how algicidal bacteria impact algal physiology and metabolism and survey the existing algicidal metabolites and enzymes. The review illustrates that the ecological role of algicidal bacteria is not yet fully understood and critically discusses the challenges in obtaining ecologically relevant data.
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