FLOW CYTOMETRY AND THE SINGLE CELL IN PHYCOLOGY.

Area of Science:

• Phycology
• Oceanography
• Biogeochemistry

Background:

• Flow cytometry measures optical properties of individual particles in a fluid stream.
• Algal optical signals can be endogenous or from fluorescent stains.
• This technology offers a cell-level perspective for phycological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the utility of flow cytometry in phycology and biological oceanography.
• To address limitations of current flow cytometers for analyzing diverse algae.
• To explore novel applications and future directions for flow cytometry in algal research.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing flow cytometers to measure light scattering and fluorescence from individual algal cells.
• Applying flow cytometry for large-scale, quantitative analysis of marine picophytoplankton.
• Developing specialized flow cytometers for analyzing a broader range of algal sizes, shapes, and pigments.

Main Results:

• Flow cytometry provides statistically rigorous, cell-level data advantageous for studying algal cell cycles.
• It has been crucial for defining marine picophytoplankton distributions and dynamics.
• New instruments enable measurements like fluorescence excitation spectra and in-flow digital imaging.

Conclusions:

• Flow cytometry links algal physiology to global biogeochemistry by relating cell optical properties to water optics.
• Developing specialized instruments expands the application of flow cytometry to diverse algae, including nonplanktonic and multicellular forms.
• Future applications may include single-cell taxonomic and physiological information using molecular probes.