Optimal growth of Dunaliella primolecta in axenic conditions to assay herbicides.

To develop an assay for herbicides in marine environments using microalgae, we have optimized the specie, cell culture media and physical conditions to obtain maximal cellular densities in a 96 well micro format to allow mass assays. We first surveyed several species of 7 unicellular eukaryotic algae genera (Dunaliella, Tetraselmis, Chlorella, Ellipsoidon, Isochrysis, Nannochloropsis, and Phaeodactylum) for vigorous in vitro axenic growth. Once the genus Dunaliella was selected, Dunaliella primolecta was preferred among 9 species (bioculata, minuta, parva, peircei, polymorpha, primolecta, quartolecta, salina and tertiolecta) because it showed the highest growth rates.