CSBR: Living Stocks: Provasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota

Bigelow Laboratory For Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay ME

Investigators

Abstract

An award is made to the National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (NCMA) to serve as a central repository to receive, maintain and distribute living cultures of (primarily) marine algae. The NCMA holds 2,739 strains in 39 taxonomic classes, representing all the major photosynthetic algal groups. Thus, the NCMA maintains the largest and most diverse collection of publicly available marine algal strains in the world. Specific goals related to this project include: (1) Increasing algal diversity and reducing strain redundancy in the core collection; (2) Improving curatorial efficiency and user experience through upgrades in data management and website functionality; (3) Implementing an aggressive business strategy to ensure future sustainability to support our mission and; (4) Increase broader impacts through innovative IT-based outreach activities. The NCMA represents a unique facility for researchers, educators and companies worldwide, all interested in working with algae as a resource to investigate fundamental questions in biology, global processes and biotechnology. Funding will facilitate expansion of education programs at NCMA to include short focused courses and webinars, increasing the opportunity for educational outreach. Through an upgraded website, the PIs plan to publish journalism-style featured articles: that will be actively presented to customers through 'got algae'?, a new monthly eblast magazine, blogs and social media. More information may be obtained at: http:www.ncma.bigelow.org.