Introduction

What is Synechococcus?

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Synechococcus sp. is a picocyanobacterium that can be found almost anywhere on the planet. It accounts for a significant portion of the primary productivity in the ocean and is considered an extremely important part of the microbial food web.

Fun facts about Synechococcus and the microbial food web:

  • Sunechococcus was unknown until J.M. Sieburth and John Waterbury discovered it in 1979 (Pomeroy, 2007).
  • Almost half of the oxygen in every breath we take is produced by marine cyanobacteria (Pomeroy, 2007).
  • There are more bacteria in the ocean than the estimated number of stars in the Universe (Whitman et al., 1998).
  • You can easily ingest a couple hundred microbes every time you go for a swim.

What did we do with Synechococcus at Shannon Point Marine Center?

In culture, Synechococcus sp. CC9311 sometimes forms filament structures (i.e. unusually long cells); the reason for their change in morphology is unclear. Changes in morphology could be related to the concentration of nutrients in their growth media, or to the presence of protist grazers. Studying the changes in morphology of Synechococcus may allow us to better understand how microbes respond to changes in their environment.

Page Updated 06.12.2012