Research update: Isochrysis galbana

from dtplankton.com

  

  Meet the brown algae that we are using in our experiment! We were concerned that the pigment given by chloroplasts in standard green algae would not be picked up by the PIV laser. Preliminary tests this afternoon show that the Isochrysis galbana (I. galbana) may be used in place of the 10 micron glass spheres! This algae is about 10 microns also. The low reflectivity of the algae meant that we had to open up the f-stop and increase the laser power to be able to accurately track these guys. One factor that we have noticed is that Instant Ocean doesn't completely dissolve in water but has a higher rate of reflectivity than the algae. So, we are working on making sure that any overexposure from the salt does not affect the study. 

  However, this made me curious as to why we obtained this particular set of algae versus the standard green algae. Come to find out that the accessory brown pigment is from an organic compound called fucoxanthin. Fucoxanthin is under heavy investigation based on a few other preliminary studies that point to this compound as a possible substance for human use in aiding with weight loss, as an anticancer agent, and an anti-inflammatory agent. These are only preliminary studies, so don't go running out looking to buy up the market on I. galbana. 

  Another factor, and one that is more prevalent to our experiment, is that these little guys are high in lipids and help sustain the diet of our oyster larvae (veligers). Why does this matter? It matters because we want to keep the veligers alive during the experiment and it would be optimal to recreate the veligers environment as much as possible. 

  One of the major issues in the scientific process is developing a plan of study for the experiment that not only gives optimal measurements but can also more closely replicate the natural environment of the living creatures involved. Experiments must be repeatable. Hence why we have a lab notebook to keep track of changes in the experimental set up. We try to keep this information in multiple places, if possible. Good science is repetitive science. 

  Remember when the first studies were released at the possibility of Higgs-Boson being proven? There was a mistake in some of the calculations. You can be sure that anyone who researches Higgs-Boson particles was reading that paper intently and trying to make sure that it was accurate, precise, and truthful to the best of our knowledge and instrumentation. This is what we aim for in the scientific community. Breakthroughs are nice but solid science must win out at the end of the day.