Rocky intertidal regions are diverse as they provide many unique habitats for the growth of cyanobacteria. From outcrops battered by waves, tidal pools, and periods desiccations due to tides, these offer distinct environments much their cyanobacterial diversity remains unexplored. To help elucidate cyanobacteria from this habitat, one nostocalean cyanobacterium Brittany, France was isolated cul...

Nitrous oxide is a long-lived greenhouse gas that exists for 114 years in the atmosphere and 298-fold more potent than carbon dioxide its global warming potential. Two recent studies showcased utility of Azolla plants lesser footprint nitrous production from urea other supplements to irrigated ecosystem, which mandates exploration since there still no clear solution paddy fields or ecosystems. ...

The recent determination of the genetic basis for the biosynthesis of the neurotoxin, saxitoxin, produced by cyanobacteria, has revealed a highly complex sequence of reactions, involving over 30 biosynthetic steps encoded by up to 26 genes clustered at one genomic locus, sxt. Insights into evolutionary-ecological processes have been found through the study of such secondary metabolites because ...

Filamentous cyanobacteria of the order Nostocales display typical properties of multicellular organisms. In response to nitrogen starvation, some vegetative cells differentiate into heterocysts, where fixation of N(2) takes place. Heterocysts provide a micro-oxic compartment to protect nitrogenase from the oxygen produced by the vegetative cells. Differentiation involves fundamental remodeling ...

Reliable identification of cyanobacterial isolates has significant socio-economic implications as many bloom-forming species affect the aesthetics and safety of drinking water, through the production of taste and odour compounds or toxic metabolites. The limitations of morphological identification have promoted the application of molecular tools, and encouraged the adoption of combined (polypha...