Lake Maggiore is a site of the Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, belonging to the deep... more Lake Maggiore is a site of the Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, belonging to the deep subalpine Lake District in Northern Italy. Studies on the physical, chemical, and biological features of the lake have been performed continuously since the 1980s. The lake recovered from eutrophication reaching the present oligotrophic condition. In the last decade, climate change represents the main driving factor for the long-term evolution of the lake, affecting its hydrodynamics, nutrient status, and biological communities. In 2020 a high-frequency monitoring (HFM) system was deployed, with the aim to integrate long-term monitoring based on discrete sampling and analysis. The system consists of a buoy equipped with sensors for limnological variables and algal pigments. The high-frequency monitoring program is part of a cross-border project between Italy and Switzerland focusing on lake quality monitoring as a critical input for successful lake management. In this paper we focus on ...
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
We propose a procedure to update ecological quality indices using species autoecology estimated b... more We propose a procedure to update ecological quality indices using species autoecology estimated by gradient analysis when new species are found, or taxonomy is updated. When updating an index, the new values must be comparable to the old ones to avoid recalibration and quality class boundary changes. As gradient length influences the values of the species optima, we propose to avoid adding new species to existing lists and we suggest recalibrating the index with a new calibration dataset and rescaling species optima. This final step reduces index updating-induced quality classification changes. An example is shown using the EPI-L diatom index, a quality index for lakes affected by trophic pressure.
In response to anthropogenic eutrophication and global warming, deep-water oxygen depletion is ex... more In response to anthropogenic eutrophication and global warming, deep-water oxygen depletion is expected to have large effects on freshwater lake biogeochemistry and resident communities. In particular, it has been observed that deep-water hypoxia may potentially lead to regime shifts of lake benthic communities. We explored such community shifts by reconstructing a high-resolution subfossil chironomid record from a sediment core collected in the sub-alpine lake Remoray in France. We identified an abrupt shift in chironomid composition triggered by the collapse of the dominant Sergentia coracina-type chironomids around 1980. We found that the collapse of Sergentia coracina type was coupled to a gradual increase in organic matter content in lake sediments caused by eutrophication. We concluded that the most probable cause for the collapse of Sergentia coracina type was a change in oxygen concentrations below the minimal threshold for larval growth. We also analyzed trends in variance and autocorrelation of chironomid dynamics to test whether they can be used as early warnings of the Sergentia collapse. We found that variance rose prior to the collapse, but it was marginally significant (Kendal rank correlation 0.71, p = 0.05), whereas autocorrelation increased but insignificantly and less strongly (Kendal rank correlation 0.23, p = 0.25). By combining reconstructions of ecosystem dynamics and environmental drivers, our approach demonstrates how lake sediments may provide insights into the long-term dynamics of oxygen in lakes and its impact on aquatic fauna.
1. Lakes play a key role in the regulation of the global carbon cycle. However, their functioning... more 1. Lakes play a key role in the regulation of the global carbon cycle. However, their functioning can be strongly impacted by anthropogenic pressures and climate variability. Understanding the response of the carbon cycle to environmental changes remains a crucial, elusive goal for both ecosystem managers and aquatic ecologists. In particular, the relations among lake physical and chemical properties, landscape structure and lake carbon cycling must be studied to predict future trends in lake functioning. 2. Sediment cores were collected from the deepest part of 14 small French lakes that differed in lake properties (elevation, conductivity, area, area of the watershed) and land-use class (forest, wetland, agricultural land and urban area). The sampling strategy employed the top-bottom approach (a comparison between present-day conditions and 'reference' conditions at Medieval period, c. AD 1000). For each sample, the following variables were analysed: isotopic carbon composition of sedimentary organic carbon (d 13 C OM), d 13 C of chironomid remains (d 13 C HC), and sedimentary pigments (total carotenoids, TC). 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the size of the catchment area may affect d 13 C OM values for the Medieval samples (R 2 = 0.36, P < 0.05), such that the flux of terrestrial organic matter increases with the size of the watershed. However, this relation is not observed in the present-day samples, and the influence apparently becomes largely anthropogenic. For these presentday samples, the proportion of agricultural land in the watershed appears to be the primary driver of lake biogeochemical cycles through a direct effect on nutrient availability (R 2 = 0.24, P < 0.05) and through an indirect effect on the benthic carbon cycle. The results also confirm the widespread existence of a pathway for methane-derived carbon contribution to chironomid biomass (up to 61% of chironomid biomass) and suggest that high-conductivity lakes are highly sensitive to the presence of this pathway (more than 75% of the lakes in our dataset have benthic food webs apparently dependent on biogenic methane; CH 4). 4. The results may indicate that the high-conductivity lakes (from the Jura Mountains) are more vulnerable to anthropogenic activities than low-conductivity lakes because high-conductivity water provides an excellent nutritive medium for the development of photoautotrophic production. Studying within-lake CH 4 dynamics and the response of the CH 4 cycle in high-conductivity lakes appear to be crucial for understanding both regional carbon budgets and lake trophic functioning.
We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Itali... more We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Italian lake for depth and surface. Despite their extensive use in water quality biomonitoring, and their relevance among phytoplankton groups, research on benthic diatoms in Lake Maggiore are scarce. Diatoms have been collected from surface sediments, littoral stones, macrophytes and water column, in different times and with different purposes during the last 40 years of the trophic history of the lake. Dataset includes 4124 occurrences relating to 293 taxa, 269 of which were identified at species level, 16 at subspecies level and 8 at the genus level. All occurrences are georeferenced.
... inferred from the sediment record of Lacul Negru in the Retezat National Park, Romania Neil L... more ... inferred from the sediment record of Lacul Negru in the Retezat National Park, Romania Neil L. Rose1*, Dan Cogälniceanu2, Peter G. Appleby3, Anton Brancelj4, LluIs Camarero5, Pilar Fernández6, Joan O. Grimalt6, Martin Kernan1, Andrea Lami7, Simona Musazzi7, Roberto ...
The cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 is a model species commonly employed for biotechnolog... more The cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 is a model species commonly employed for biotechnological applications. It is naturally able to accumulate zeaxanthin (Zea) and echinenone (Ech), but not astaxanthin (Asx), which is the highest value carotenoid produced by microalgae, with a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and feed industries. With the aim of finding an alternative and sustainable biological source for the production of Asx and other valuable hydroxylated and ketolated intermediates, the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway ofSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 has been engineered by introducing the 4,4′ β‐carotene oxygenase (CrtW) and 3,3′ β‐carotene hydroxylase (CrtZ) genes fromBrevundimonassp. SD‐212 under the control of a temperature‐inducible promoter. The expression of exogenous CrtZ led to an increased accumulation of Zea at the expense of Ech, while the expression of exogenous CrtW promoted the production of non‐endogenous canthaxanthin and an increase in the Ech content with a concomitant strong reduction of β‐carotene (β‐car). When bothBrevundimonassp. SD‐212 genes were coexpressed, significant amounts of non‐endogenous Asx were obtained accompanied by a strong decrease in β‐car content. Asx accumulation was higher (approximately 50% of total carotenoids) whenCrtZwas cloned upstream ofCrtW, but still significant (approximately 30%) when the position of genes was inverted. Therefore, the engineered strains constitute a useful tool for investigating the ketocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway in cyanobacteria and an excellent starting point for further optimisation and industrial exploitation of these organisms for the production of added‐value compounds.
Anzasca Valley is part of the Monte Rosa gold district located in the Italian Central Alps. Since... more Anzasca Valley is part of the Monte Rosa gold district located in the Italian Central Alps. Since we do not know the effects of arsenic on the aquatic environment in Anzasca Valley, we investigated the biofilm of three streams. The three perennial streams studied are in the Anza catchment but with different lithology. Rio Rosso flows out of an ancient gold mine (Miniera dei Cani); its waters, acid mine drainages, are rich in iron and arsenic. Rio Gattera, a small stream adjacent to the Rio Rosso, flows through metamorphic rocks with mixed composition. Its waters are not acidic but contain a small amount of arsenic. Rio Roletto is upstream, with respect to the others, and drains different metamorphic rocks without arsenic. We analyzed the chemistry and the metals of the water, characterized by microscopic analysis and HPLC, the phytobenthic community living in the biofilm, and in the Rio Rosso, we measured the arsenic adsorbed in the biofilm. Sampling was performed between 2012 and 2...
We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Itali... more We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Italian lake for depth and surface. Despite their extensive use in water quality biomonitoring, and their relevance among phytoplankton groups, research on benthic diatoms in Lake Maggiore are scarce. Diatoms have been collected from surface sediments, littoral stones, macrophytes and water column, in different times and with different purposes during the last 40 years of the trophic history of the lake. Dataset includes 4124 occurrences relating to 293 taxa, 269 of which were identified at species level, 16 at subspecies level and 8 at the genus level. All occurrences are georeferenced.
Phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein, is one of the few natural blue pigments available as food colora... more Phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein, is one of the few natural blue pigments available as food colorant and it is largely used in food industry and in cosmetics. We have devised an innovative two-step extraction process which allowed to obtain bright blue phycocyanin crude extracts with high purity grade P (within 2.5 and 3.5) directly from fresh biomass of Arthrospira platensis Gomont 1892 (commonly named Spirulina). We found out and for the first time exploited ammonium sulphate capability to minimize the release of water soluble phycobiliproteins in aqueous medium during ultrasound-assisted cell lysis/purification phase. The conventional sequence which is, extraction followed by purification, was reversed. The extraction phase was decoupled from biomass cell lysis. Cell lysis, accomplished by ultrasonication in ammonium sulphate solution, was merged with purification in a single step, before the pigment extraction/recovering phase. The process was entirely carried out in aqueous solu...
This article focuses on a very peculiar habitat, the thin biofilm that covers the surface of rock... more This article focuses on a very peculiar habitat, the thin biofilm that covers the surface of rocks, cobbles, sediment grains, leaf litter, and vegetation on a riverbed. Species composition changes over time and depends on environmental conditions and perturbation of water quality. It provides several ecosystem services, contributing to the biogeochemical fluxes and reducing contamination by absorbing the pollutants. Biofilm into the Toce River (Ossola Valley, Piedmont, Italy) was investigated to assess its capacity to accumulate the metals and macroions from the water column. In this preliminary work, we investigated three sample points, in two different seasons. The community composition of biofilm was determined via morphological analysis (diatoms and non-diatoms algal community). We characterize the biofilm, a community of different organisms, from different perspectives. In the biofilm, Hg was analyzed with an automated mercury analyzer, other metals and macroions with inductive...
The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has gained significant attention as an altern... more The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has gained significant attention as an alternative and sustainable source for biomass, biofuels and added-value compounds. The latter category includes keto-carotenoids, which are molecules largely employed in a wide spectrum of industrial applications in the food, feed, nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Keto-carotenoids are not naturally synthesized by Synechocystis, at least in any significant amounts, but their accumulation can be induced by metabolic engineering of the endogenous carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. In this study, the accumulation of the keto-carotenoids astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, resulting from the constitutive or temperature-inducible expression of the CrtW and CrtZ genes from Brevundimonas, is compared. The benefits and drawbacks of the two engineering approaches are discussed.
... Author(s): Marchetto, A.; Rogora, M.; Boggero, A.; Musazzi, S.; Lami, A.; Lotter, A.; Tolotti... more ... Author(s): Marchetto, A.; Rogora, M.; Boggero, A.; Musazzi, S.; Lami, A.; Lotter, A.; Tolotti, M.; Thies, H.; Psenner, R.; Massaferro, J.; Barbieri, A. Affiliation FEM: Research and Innovation Centre. ... Citation: Marchetto, A., Rogora, M., Boggero, A., Musazzi, S., Lami, A., Lotter, A., et al. ...
We publish a data set of environmental and biological data collected in 2000 during the ice-free ... more We publish a data set of environmental and biological data collected in 2000 during the ice-free period in high mountain lakes located above the local timberline in the Alps, in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Environmental data include coordinates, geographical attributes and detailed information on vegetation, bedrock and land use in lake catchments. Chemical analyses of a sample for each lake collected at the lake surface in Summer 2000 are also reported. Biological data include phytoplankton (floating algae and cyanobacteria), zooplankton (floating animals), macroinvertebrates (aquatic organisms visible to the naked eye living in contact with sediments on lake bottom), benthic diatoms. Diatoms, cladocera and chironomids remains and algal and bacterial pigments were also analysed in lake sediments.
Lake Maggiore is a site of the Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, belonging to the deep... more Lake Maggiore is a site of the Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, belonging to the deep subalpine Lake District in Northern Italy. Studies on the physical, chemical, and biological features of the lake have been performed continuously since the 1980s. The lake recovered from eutrophication reaching the present oligotrophic condition. In the last decade, climate change represents the main driving factor for the long-term evolution of the lake, affecting its hydrodynamics, nutrient status, and biological communities. In 2020 a high-frequency monitoring (HFM) system was deployed, with the aim to integrate long-term monitoring based on discrete sampling and analysis. The system consists of a buoy equipped with sensors for limnological variables and algal pigments. The high-frequency monitoring program is part of a cross-border project between Italy and Switzerland focusing on lake quality monitoring as a critical input for successful lake management. In this paper we focus on ...
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
We propose a procedure to update ecological quality indices using species autoecology estimated b... more We propose a procedure to update ecological quality indices using species autoecology estimated by gradient analysis when new species are found, or taxonomy is updated. When updating an index, the new values must be comparable to the old ones to avoid recalibration and quality class boundary changes. As gradient length influences the values of the species optima, we propose to avoid adding new species to existing lists and we suggest recalibrating the index with a new calibration dataset and rescaling species optima. This final step reduces index updating-induced quality classification changes. An example is shown using the EPI-L diatom index, a quality index for lakes affected by trophic pressure.
In response to anthropogenic eutrophication and global warming, deep-water oxygen depletion is ex... more In response to anthropogenic eutrophication and global warming, deep-water oxygen depletion is expected to have large effects on freshwater lake biogeochemistry and resident communities. In particular, it has been observed that deep-water hypoxia may potentially lead to regime shifts of lake benthic communities. We explored such community shifts by reconstructing a high-resolution subfossil chironomid record from a sediment core collected in the sub-alpine lake Remoray in France. We identified an abrupt shift in chironomid composition triggered by the collapse of the dominant Sergentia coracina-type chironomids around 1980. We found that the collapse of Sergentia coracina type was coupled to a gradual increase in organic matter content in lake sediments caused by eutrophication. We concluded that the most probable cause for the collapse of Sergentia coracina type was a change in oxygen concentrations below the minimal threshold for larval growth. We also analyzed trends in variance and autocorrelation of chironomid dynamics to test whether they can be used as early warnings of the Sergentia collapse. We found that variance rose prior to the collapse, but it was marginally significant (Kendal rank correlation 0.71, p = 0.05), whereas autocorrelation increased but insignificantly and less strongly (Kendal rank correlation 0.23, p = 0.25). By combining reconstructions of ecosystem dynamics and environmental drivers, our approach demonstrates how lake sediments may provide insights into the long-term dynamics of oxygen in lakes and its impact on aquatic fauna.
1. Lakes play a key role in the regulation of the global carbon cycle. However, their functioning... more 1. Lakes play a key role in the regulation of the global carbon cycle. However, their functioning can be strongly impacted by anthropogenic pressures and climate variability. Understanding the response of the carbon cycle to environmental changes remains a crucial, elusive goal for both ecosystem managers and aquatic ecologists. In particular, the relations among lake physical and chemical properties, landscape structure and lake carbon cycling must be studied to predict future trends in lake functioning. 2. Sediment cores were collected from the deepest part of 14 small French lakes that differed in lake properties (elevation, conductivity, area, area of the watershed) and land-use class (forest, wetland, agricultural land and urban area). The sampling strategy employed the top-bottom approach (a comparison between present-day conditions and 'reference' conditions at Medieval period, c. AD 1000). For each sample, the following variables were analysed: isotopic carbon composition of sedimentary organic carbon (d 13 C OM), d 13 C of chironomid remains (d 13 C HC), and sedimentary pigments (total carotenoids, TC). 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the size of the catchment area may affect d 13 C OM values for the Medieval samples (R 2 = 0.36, P < 0.05), such that the flux of terrestrial organic matter increases with the size of the watershed. However, this relation is not observed in the present-day samples, and the influence apparently becomes largely anthropogenic. For these presentday samples, the proportion of agricultural land in the watershed appears to be the primary driver of lake biogeochemical cycles through a direct effect on nutrient availability (R 2 = 0.24, P < 0.05) and through an indirect effect on the benthic carbon cycle. The results also confirm the widespread existence of a pathway for methane-derived carbon contribution to chironomid biomass (up to 61% of chironomid biomass) and suggest that high-conductivity lakes are highly sensitive to the presence of this pathway (more than 75% of the lakes in our dataset have benthic food webs apparently dependent on biogenic methane; CH 4). 4. The results may indicate that the high-conductivity lakes (from the Jura Mountains) are more vulnerable to anthropogenic activities than low-conductivity lakes because high-conductivity water provides an excellent nutritive medium for the development of photoautotrophic production. Studying within-lake CH 4 dynamics and the response of the CH 4 cycle in high-conductivity lakes appear to be crucial for understanding both regional carbon budgets and lake trophic functioning.
We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Itali... more We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Italian lake for depth and surface. Despite their extensive use in water quality biomonitoring, and their relevance among phytoplankton groups, research on benthic diatoms in Lake Maggiore are scarce. Diatoms have been collected from surface sediments, littoral stones, macrophytes and water column, in different times and with different purposes during the last 40 years of the trophic history of the lake. Dataset includes 4124 occurrences relating to 293 taxa, 269 of which were identified at species level, 16 at subspecies level and 8 at the genus level. All occurrences are georeferenced.
... inferred from the sediment record of Lacul Negru in the Retezat National Park, Romania Neil L... more ... inferred from the sediment record of Lacul Negru in the Retezat National Park, Romania Neil L. Rose1*, Dan Cogälniceanu2, Peter G. Appleby3, Anton Brancelj4, LluIs Camarero5, Pilar Fernández6, Joan O. Grimalt6, Martin Kernan1, Andrea Lami7, Simona Musazzi7, Roberto ...
The cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 is a model species commonly employed for biotechnolog... more The cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 is a model species commonly employed for biotechnological applications. It is naturally able to accumulate zeaxanthin (Zea) and echinenone (Ech), but not astaxanthin (Asx), which is the highest value carotenoid produced by microalgae, with a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and feed industries. With the aim of finding an alternative and sustainable biological source for the production of Asx and other valuable hydroxylated and ketolated intermediates, the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway ofSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 has been engineered by introducing the 4,4′ β‐carotene oxygenase (CrtW) and 3,3′ β‐carotene hydroxylase (CrtZ) genes fromBrevundimonassp. SD‐212 under the control of a temperature‐inducible promoter. The expression of exogenous CrtZ led to an increased accumulation of Zea at the expense of Ech, while the expression of exogenous CrtW promoted the production of non‐endogenous canthaxanthin and an increase in the Ech content with a concomitant strong reduction of β‐carotene (β‐car). When bothBrevundimonassp. SD‐212 genes were coexpressed, significant amounts of non‐endogenous Asx were obtained accompanied by a strong decrease in β‐car content. Asx accumulation was higher (approximately 50% of total carotenoids) whenCrtZwas cloned upstream ofCrtW, but still significant (approximately 30%) when the position of genes was inverted. Therefore, the engineered strains constitute a useful tool for investigating the ketocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway in cyanobacteria and an excellent starting point for further optimisation and industrial exploitation of these organisms for the production of added‐value compounds.
Anzasca Valley is part of the Monte Rosa gold district located in the Italian Central Alps. Since... more Anzasca Valley is part of the Monte Rosa gold district located in the Italian Central Alps. Since we do not know the effects of arsenic on the aquatic environment in Anzasca Valley, we investigated the biofilm of three streams. The three perennial streams studied are in the Anza catchment but with different lithology. Rio Rosso flows out of an ancient gold mine (Miniera dei Cani); its waters, acid mine drainages, are rich in iron and arsenic. Rio Gattera, a small stream adjacent to the Rio Rosso, flows through metamorphic rocks with mixed composition. Its waters are not acidic but contain a small amount of arsenic. Rio Roletto is upstream, with respect to the others, and drains different metamorphic rocks without arsenic. We analyzed the chemistry and the metals of the water, characterized by microscopic analysis and HPLC, the phytobenthic community living in the biofilm, and in the Rio Rosso, we measured the arsenic adsorbed in the biofilm. Sampling was performed between 2012 and 2...
We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Itali... more We publish a dataset on planktic and benthic diatom occurrence in Lake Maggiore, the second Italian lake for depth and surface. Despite their extensive use in water quality biomonitoring, and their relevance among phytoplankton groups, research on benthic diatoms in Lake Maggiore are scarce. Diatoms have been collected from surface sediments, littoral stones, macrophytes and water column, in different times and with different purposes during the last 40 years of the trophic history of the lake. Dataset includes 4124 occurrences relating to 293 taxa, 269 of which were identified at species level, 16 at subspecies level and 8 at the genus level. All occurrences are georeferenced.
Phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein, is one of the few natural blue pigments available as food colora... more Phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein, is one of the few natural blue pigments available as food colorant and it is largely used in food industry and in cosmetics. We have devised an innovative two-step extraction process which allowed to obtain bright blue phycocyanin crude extracts with high purity grade P (within 2.5 and 3.5) directly from fresh biomass of Arthrospira platensis Gomont 1892 (commonly named Spirulina). We found out and for the first time exploited ammonium sulphate capability to minimize the release of water soluble phycobiliproteins in aqueous medium during ultrasound-assisted cell lysis/purification phase. The conventional sequence which is, extraction followed by purification, was reversed. The extraction phase was decoupled from biomass cell lysis. Cell lysis, accomplished by ultrasonication in ammonium sulphate solution, was merged with purification in a single step, before the pigment extraction/recovering phase. The process was entirely carried out in aqueous solu...
This article focuses on a very peculiar habitat, the thin biofilm that covers the surface of rock... more This article focuses on a very peculiar habitat, the thin biofilm that covers the surface of rocks, cobbles, sediment grains, leaf litter, and vegetation on a riverbed. Species composition changes over time and depends on environmental conditions and perturbation of water quality. It provides several ecosystem services, contributing to the biogeochemical fluxes and reducing contamination by absorbing the pollutants. Biofilm into the Toce River (Ossola Valley, Piedmont, Italy) was investigated to assess its capacity to accumulate the metals and macroions from the water column. In this preliminary work, we investigated three sample points, in two different seasons. The community composition of biofilm was determined via morphological analysis (diatoms and non-diatoms algal community). We characterize the biofilm, a community of different organisms, from different perspectives. In the biofilm, Hg was analyzed with an automated mercury analyzer, other metals and macroions with inductive...
The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has gained significant attention as an altern... more The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has gained significant attention as an alternative and sustainable source for biomass, biofuels and added-value compounds. The latter category includes keto-carotenoids, which are molecules largely employed in a wide spectrum of industrial applications in the food, feed, nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Keto-carotenoids are not naturally synthesized by Synechocystis, at least in any significant amounts, but their accumulation can be induced by metabolic engineering of the endogenous carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. In this study, the accumulation of the keto-carotenoids astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, resulting from the constitutive or temperature-inducible expression of the CrtW and CrtZ genes from Brevundimonas, is compared. The benefits and drawbacks of the two engineering approaches are discussed.
... Author(s): Marchetto, A.; Rogora, M.; Boggero, A.; Musazzi, S.; Lami, A.; Lotter, A.; Tolotti... more ... Author(s): Marchetto, A.; Rogora, M.; Boggero, A.; Musazzi, S.; Lami, A.; Lotter, A.; Tolotti, M.; Thies, H.; Psenner, R.; Massaferro, J.; Barbieri, A. Affiliation FEM: Research and Innovation Centre. ... Citation: Marchetto, A., Rogora, M., Boggero, A., Musazzi, S., Lami, A., Lotter, A., et al. ...
We publish a data set of environmental and biological data collected in 2000 during the ice-free ... more We publish a data set of environmental and biological data collected in 2000 during the ice-free period in high mountain lakes located above the local timberline in the Alps, in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Environmental data include coordinates, geographical attributes and detailed information on vegetation, bedrock and land use in lake catchments. Chemical analyses of a sample for each lake collected at the lake surface in Summer 2000 are also reported. Biological data include phytoplankton (floating algae and cyanobacteria), zooplankton (floating animals), macroinvertebrates (aquatic organisms visible to the naked eye living in contact with sediments on lake bottom), benthic diatoms. Diatoms, cladocera and chironomids remains and algal and bacterial pigments were also analysed in lake sediments.
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