Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Spirulina

BlueThumbDev - 27-2-2019 at 03:32

I am interested in starting algae cultures and want to start with Arthrospira platensis. I have been looking around for suppliers but often the price is rather high and shipping costs add a lot more onto this price.

I am looking if anyone in the UK has a culture that I can have (or purchase) and any shipping isn't too expensive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Nate - 28-2-2019 at 12:09

I would suggest Carolina biological, they're shipping might be expensive for the UK especially for live cultures. But they're reliable and give good quality samples. Shipping costs around $17.50 for live cultures for me and I live in Washington.

Edit: If the shipping is too much for you I'd almost suggest going and trying to isolate species yourself. Spirulina isn't that uncommon and is relatively easy to identify due to it's spiral shape. It could also be good practice for isolated pure cultures of cyanobacteria (which spirulina is). Get some good liquid media (or agar plates but those are harder to find and often more expensive than the liquid kind) and try to isolate it yourself! Though of course you would have a bunch of other potentially harmful cyanobacteria but if you know what you're doing it's not that big of a problem. I once tested my room for microorganisms and pretty sure I isolated some MRSA on accident, I was fine and didn't get infected but still, the threat is present.

[Edited on 28-2-2019 by Nate]

BlueThumbDev - 1-3-2019 at 00:59

Quote: Originally posted by Nate  
I would suggest Carolina biological, they're shipping might be expensive for the UK especially for live cultures. But they're reliable and give good quality samples. Shipping costs around $17.50 for live cultures for me and I live in Washington.

Edit: If the shipping is too much for you I'd almost suggest going and trying to isolate species yourself. Spirulina isn't that uncommon and is relatively easy to identify due to it's spiral shape. It could also be good practice for isolated pure cultures of cyanobacteria (which spirulina is). Get some good liquid media (or agar plates but those are harder to find and often more expensive than the liquid kind) and try to isolate it yourself! Though of course you would have a bunch of other potentially harmful cyanobacteria but if you know what you're doing it's not that big of a problem. I once tested my room for microorganisms and pretty sure I isolated some MRSA on accident, I was fine and didn't get infected but still, the threat is present.

[Edited on 28-2-2019 by Nate]


Thanks for the reply, Nate!

I think shipping is just going to be too much for me at the minute so I'll wait on that, unless I happen to come across a reasonable supplier.

However, I think I'll try a project at isolating it, at least I'll have something to do!

Tsjerk - 1-3-2019 at 01:07

Agar can be found as a vegan alternative for gelatin. I would advice agar over gelatin in cooking anyway because it has far less flavor and you can cook with far more subtle flavors because you don't have to mask the gelatin flavor.

Nate - 1-3-2019 at 07:23

If I find any good papers on cyanobacteria isolation I'll send it to you!

Nate - 4-3-2019 at 08:13

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC182968/

This is a relatively old paper from the looks of it, and details how to isolate them. It includes the ingredients on how to make the isolation medium too!

But, unless you already have the ingredients I wouldn't make it. What I'd do is sterilize some sea water (since there are probably a lot of micro nutrients in there then just salt) and use that as a medium. It's not perfect but It's cheaper than making the medium yourself.

unionised - 4-3-2019 at 11:40

Am I right in thinking that there are some cyanobacteria that you really don't want to play with?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984099/

Nate - 4-3-2019 at 13:13

Yes of course, you don't have to look far to find it obviously. But if you know what you're doing and have the right equipment it shouldn't be a big deal. The same goes for most sciences. There is always a risk when dealing with stuff like this.

Edit: Yes I know buying is a lot safer but for some that isn't an option. That is more true for biology than any other science in my opinion. The cheapest source I know of buying bacteria is around $40 per plate culture ($35 for tube cultures), I barely had the money to buy a mixed culture of starter bacteria (Bacillus Substilis, Micrococcus luteus, and rhodospirillum rubrum). Cyanobacteria are cheaper at around $30 but the problem of price still exists. So yes, while there is a risk I believe that if you're careful enough you'll be fine.

[Edited on 4-3-2019 by Nate]

Tsjerk - 5-3-2019 at 10:53

Quote: Originally posted by unionised  
Am I right in thinking that there are some cyanobacteria that you really don't want to play with?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984099/


As long as you don't drink the supernatant you should be fine. As long as bacteria are not pathogenic you should be fine as long as you don't consume the toxins they produce. You also don't get salmonella food poisoning from cutting chicken.

There are few bacterial species to be afraid of, Bacillus anthracis is one to be afraid of. .. thinking right now. .. can't think of any other right now. You should even be fine with Mycobaterium tuberculosis as long as you don't inhalate them. And they can't fly by themselves.


If the above was not the case we would all have died a long time ago.

Edit: and even then, we all breath dozens of anthracis spores when walking through a field.

[Edited on 5-3-2019 by Tsjerk]

unionised - 5-3-2019 at 11:19

Quote: Originally posted by Nate  
if you know what you're doing and have the right equipment ...

[Edited on 4-3-2019 by Nate]

Then you are not the guy who started this thread.

unionised - 5-3-2019 at 11:24

Quote: Originally posted by Tsjerk  

As long as you don't drink the supernatant you should be fine.

[Edited on 5-3-2019 by Tsjerk]


No.
OK, it's not quite the same thing, but marine toxins can creep up on you.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16138987.beware-the-tropic...

People have been poisoned by boiling rocks contaminated with this material in an attempt to destroy it.

BlueThumbDev - 6-3-2019 at 05:26

I understand the dangers of isolating anything like this to consume, especially if the correct procedures don't take place. But for some practice, it might be good. If I want to grow things to consume, I'd look for a safe source rather than some random river etc.

Please don't take me as stupid, I am most definitely aware of the dangers. :)

unionised - 6-3-2019 at 13:17

Quote: Originally posted by BlueThumbDev  
I understand the dangers of isolating anything like this to consume, especially if the correct procedures don't take place. But for some practice, it might be good. If I want to grow things to consume, I'd look for a safe source rather than some random river etc.

Please don't take me as stupid, I am most definitely aware of the dangers. :)

I'm rather less concerned about you- at least you had the sense to ask. That's not the action of someone who is stupid.

I'm not so sure about the people who seem to think nothing could go wrong.