Physiological and metabolic characteristics of polar diatoms: insights into cold adaptation and potential for biotechnology ...

• Main Author: Coffin, Sam
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository 2021
• Subjects: Polar; Antarctica; Diatoms; Physiology; FOS Biological sciences; Thermal tolerance; B12; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17863/cam.81750; https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/334336

The polar regions represent two of the most extreme environments on Earth, with sub-zero temperatures, sustained light in the summer and complete darkness in the winter. Marine diatoms are prevalent in the polar oceans, significantly contributing to primary productivity and ecosystem functioning. They are characterized by having optimal growth at low temperatures (<10°C) and have developed various genetic adaptations to cope with these extreme environments. The polar regions, however, are experiencing unprecedented environmental changes because of regional climate change. We currently lack detailed knowledge on polar diatom ecophysiology and metabolism, which means we do not know how these species may be impacted by future environmental changes. One barrier to our understanding of polar diatoms is the availability of living strains for experimental study. The number of polar diatom strains in public collections is low and of those that are available, many have been kept in culture for many decades. Hence, ...