FlowCAM for SAMS

The processing system captures a digital image of each cell and presents the data in an easy-to-load spread sheet or scattergrams. SAMS will use the system for their control of grazers project. This aims to address the challenge of the reduction of algal mass cultures caused by the presence of ciliate grazers. At the moment there are not rapid detection or enumeration systems available for herbivorous ciliates and there is little relevant published literature on the control of ciliates. The little knowledge available is often kept internally.

SAMS is to develop a tool kit allowing visual detection of ciliates in mixed cultures by epifluorescence microscopy. Detection methodology will then be transferred to a high-throughput, flow-through and microscopy systems and demonstrate capacity te detect ciliates down to low cell densities (about 10/ml) to be used in experiments.