Abstract :
[en] The BCCM/ULC public collection (https://bccm.belspo.be/about-us/bccm-ulc) aims to gather a representative portion of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine cyanobacterial strains from different ecosystems with a focus on the polar diversity (140/283 strains). Amongst the 243 strains, for which the 16S rRNA gene sequence was determined, 93 OTU’s (99% 16S rRNA similarity) were recognized. To distinguish closely related strains, the ITS are also sequenced.
A dozen genomes are presently being sequenced, a.o. in the frame of the BRAIN-BE project
GEN-ERA. The collection’s aim is to preserve the deposited biological material, to valorize it by performing research on it, to provide it to interested parties for fundamental and applied research, and to provide services linked to the identification of the Cyanobacteria for the scientific community. An ISO 9001 certificate was obtained for the public deposition and distribution of strains, as part of the multi-site certification for the BCCM consortium. Several strains are the reference (or ‘type’) for newly described taxa. They include Plectolyngbya hodgsonii (ULC009), which is an endemic taxon from Antarctic continental lakes, Shackletoniella antarctica (ULC037) that has a bipolar distribution, Timaviella circinata and T. karstica (ULC401, ULC402), isolated from the Lampenflora of the Giant Cave in Italy and Parakomarekiella sesnandensis (ULC591), isolated from the biodeteriorated walls of the Old Cathedral of Coimbra, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, the BLCC (Berthold Laughinghouse Culture Collection) deposited 196 strains with several new taxa. The goal of these isolations was to describe and characterize novel cyanobacteria from different ecosystems in Florida, a subtropical to tropical climate region. These deposits include newly described genera and species including Johannesbaptistia floridana, Iningainema tapete, Brasilonema fioreae, and Neolyngbya biscaynensissp. The diversity of cyanobacteria in these mats is huge and still largely unexplored. Moreover, these ecosystems are a potential source of novel secondary compounds. For example, species of Neolyngbya and Brasilonema have
been shown to produce compounds with antibiotic and antifungal properties
