Establishing and validating axenic cultures of the microalga <i>Haematococcus lacustris</i> (Chlorophyceae)

Although many isolation techniques for algaeaxenic cultures of algae are known, successful approaches species and contaminant-specific. The commercially important alga Haematococcus lacustris has been intensively studied due to its natural production the high-value carotenoid astaxanthin, yet there no reports axenic H. cultures. In this article, we describe lacustris, originally isolated in non-axenic form from habitat adopted be used daily vitro, our laboratory. We verify absence bacteria identify bacterial communities algal culture. using PCR amplification with selected universal primers 16S rRNA gene gDNA. Amplification culture showed presence high identity Massilia, Blastococcus Deinococcus species. which were identified strain further expand knowledge on algae, because established culture, testing their effect growth or astaxanthin accumulation controlled co-cultures is now available. technique described herein can applied other green eliminate bacteria, nature resulting required molecular genetics research will very valuable establishing heterotrophic laboratory industrial bioreactors.