Diatoms are micro-algal indicators of freshwater pollution. Current standardized methodologies are based on microscopic determinations, which is time consuming and prone to identification uncertainties. The use of DNA-barcoding has been proposed as a way to avoid these flaws. Combining barcoding with next-generation sequencing enables collection of a large quantity of barcodes from natural samp...

Conjugation of episomal plasmids from bacteria to diatoms advances diatom genetic manipulation by simplifying transgene delivery and providing a stable and consistent gene expression platform. To reach its full potential, this nascent technology requires new optimized expression vectors and a deeper understanding of episome maintenance. Here, we present the development of an additional diatom v...

The objective of our study was to investigate sexual reproduction of Daphnia magna associated with mating behaviors and hatching rates, according to different algal food sources. Since a diatom is known to contain more abundant long-chain poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), we hypothesized that the diatom-consuming D. magna would exhibit more successful reproduction rates. Upon the hypothesis...

Endemic planktonic diatoms are a major component of Lake Baikal sediments during interglacial periods. To investigate how these diatom assemblages are altered during sediment formation, quantitative plankton monitoring (1995–1998) was integrated with sediment trapping over 2 yr (1996–1997) in Baikal’s southern basin (depth ;1,400 m). The traps consisted of both open (;6 monthly) and sequential ...

We investigated whether reduced reproductive success of copepods fed with diatoms was related to nutritional imbalances with regard to essential lipids or to the production of inhibitory aldehydes. In 10-d laboratory experiments, feeding, egg production, egg hatching success, and fecal pellet production of Temora longicornis were measured for six different diatom species as well as for a nondia...

More than 50% of terrestrially-derived organic carbon (terrOC) flux from the continents to the ocean is remineralised in the coastal zone despite its perceived high refractivity. The efficient degradation of terrOC in the marine environment could be fuelled by labile marine-derived material, a phenomenon known as "priming effect", but experimental data to confirm this mechanism are lacking. We ...

A Holocene lake sediment record spanning the past 7300 years from Wishart Lake in the Turkey Lakes Watershed in the Hemi-Boreal of central Ontario, Canada, was used to evaluate the potential drivers of long-term change in diatom assemblages at this site. An analysis of diatom assemblages found that benthic and epiphytic taxa dominated the mid-Holocene (7300-4000 cal yr BP), indicating shallow, ...

Recent shifts in water quality and food web characteristics driven by anthropogenic impacts on the Laurentian Great Lakes warranted an examination of pelagic primary producers as tracers of environmental change. The distributions of the 263 common phytoplankton taxa were related to water quality variables to determine taxon-specific responses that may be useful in indicator models. A detailed c...

Diatom algae are single-celled, photosynthetic organisms with a cell wall called a frustule—a periodically patterned nano-structure made of silica. Throughout the last decade, diatom frustules have been studied for their potential uses as photonic crystals and biomimetic templates for artificially developed metamaterials. A MATLAB program characterizing their pore structure as a function of ang...