From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper
Iron is an essential, yet scarce, nutrient in marine environments. Phytoplankton, and especially cyanobacteria, have developed a wide range of mechanisms to acquire iron and maintain their iron-rich photosynthetic machinery. Iron limitation studies often utilize either oceanographic methods to under...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/12/1889 |
| _version_ | 1797546290789220352 |
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| author | Annie Vera Hunnestad Anne Ilse Maria Vogel Evelyn Armstrong Maria Guadalupe Digernes Murat Van Ardelan Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott |
| author_facet | Annie Vera Hunnestad Anne Ilse Maria Vogel Evelyn Armstrong Maria Guadalupe Digernes Murat Van Ardelan Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott |
| author_sort | Annie Vera Hunnestad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Iron is an essential, yet scarce, nutrient in marine environments. Phytoplankton, and especially cyanobacteria, have developed a wide range of mechanisms to acquire iron and maintain their iron-rich photosynthetic machinery. Iron limitation studies often utilize either oceanographic methods to understand large scale processes, or laboratory-based, molecular experiments to identify underlying molecular mechanisms on a cellular level. Here, we aim to highlight the benefits of both approaches to encourage interdisciplinary understanding of the effects of iron limitation on cyanobacteria with a focus on avoiding pitfalls in the initial phases of collaboration. In particular, we discuss the use of trace metal clean methods in combination with sterile techniques, and the challenges faced when a new collaboration is set up to combine interdisciplinary techniques. Methods necessary for producing reliable data, such as High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS), Flow Injection Analysis Chemiluminescence (FIA-CL), and 77K fluorescence emission spectroscopy are discussed and evaluated and a technical manual, including the preparation of the artificial seawater medium Aquil, cleaning procedures, and a sampling scheme for an iron limitation experiment is included. This paper provides a reference point for researchers to implement different techniques into interdisciplinary iron studies that span cyanobacteria physiology, molecular biology, and biogeochemistry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:28:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-548753636c88435fb4884195fadd8162 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:28:07Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-548753636c88435fb4884195fadd81622023-11-20T22:50:09ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072020-11-01812188910.3390/microorganisms8121889From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface PaperAnnie Vera Hunnestad0Anne Ilse Maria Vogel1Evelyn Armstrong2Maria Guadalupe Digernes3Murat Van Ardelan4Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott5Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayPhotoSynLab, Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayNIWA/University of Otago Research Centre for Oceanography, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, 9054 Dunedin, New ZealandDepartment of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayPhotoSynLab, Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwayIron is an essential, yet scarce, nutrient in marine environments. Phytoplankton, and especially cyanobacteria, have developed a wide range of mechanisms to acquire iron and maintain their iron-rich photosynthetic machinery. Iron limitation studies often utilize either oceanographic methods to understand large scale processes, or laboratory-based, molecular experiments to identify underlying molecular mechanisms on a cellular level. Here, we aim to highlight the benefits of both approaches to encourage interdisciplinary understanding of the effects of iron limitation on cyanobacteria with a focus on avoiding pitfalls in the initial phases of collaboration. In particular, we discuss the use of trace metal clean methods in combination with sterile techniques, and the challenges faced when a new collaboration is set up to combine interdisciplinary techniques. Methods necessary for producing reliable data, such as High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS), Flow Injection Analysis Chemiluminescence (FIA-CL), and 77K fluorescence emission spectroscopy are discussed and evaluated and a technical manual, including the preparation of the artificial seawater medium Aquil, cleaning procedures, and a sampling scheme for an iron limitation experiment is included. This paper provides a reference point for researchers to implement different techniques into interdisciplinary iron studies that span cyanobacteria physiology, molecular biology, and biogeochemistry.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/12/1889oceanographymarine biogeochemistrymolecular biologycyanobacteriairon limitationphotosynthesis |
| spellingShingle | Annie Vera Hunnestad Anne Ilse Maria Vogel Evelyn Armstrong Maria Guadalupe Digernes Murat Van Ardelan Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper Microorganisms oceanography marine biogeochemistry molecular biology cyanobacteria iron limitation photosynthesis |
| title | From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper |
| title_full | From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper |
| title_fullStr | From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper |
| title_full_unstemmed | From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper |
| title_short | From the Ocean to the Lab—Assessing Iron Limitation in Cyanobacteria: An Interface Paper |
| title_sort | from the ocean to the lab assessing iron limitation in cyanobacteria an interface paper |
| topic | oceanography marine biogeochemistry molecular biology cyanobacteria iron limitation photosynthesis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/12/1889 |
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