Application of Artificial Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm Modeling for In Vitro Regeneration of Seaweed Seedling Production.

Marine macro-algae, commonly known as "seaweed," are used in everyday commodity products worldwide for food, feed, and biostimulant for plants and animals and continue to be one of the conspicuous components of world aquaculture production. However, the application of ANN in seaweeds remains limited. Here, we described how to perform ANN-based machine learning modeling and GA-based optimization to enhance seedling production for implications on commercial farming. The critical steps from seaweed seedling explant preparation, selection of independent variables for laboratory culture, formulating experimental design, executing ANN Modelling, and implementing optimization algorithm are described.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by freshwater algal species of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India.

The present study investigated copper, cadmium, lead and zinc accumulation in algal species Oedogonium, Cladophora, Oscillatoria and Spirogyra from freshwater habitats of Bhavnagar, India. Eight different locations were periodically sampled during August 2009 to March 2011. The general trend of heavy metal concentrations in all the algal species in present study (except at few stations), were found to be in the following order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Highest accumulation of Cu was recorded in Oedogonium, while Cladophora showed highest accumulation of Pb signifying a good bioaccumulator. Oscillatoria and Oedogonium were highest Zn accumulating algae which showed significant difference between the means at P < 0.05. ANOVA was performed for comparing significance mean between the groups and within the group for heavy metals in water. The concentration of heavy metals in water was in the following order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The present study showed that Oedogonium, Cladophora, Oscillatoria and Spirogyra were excellent bioaccumulator and could be utilized as biomonitoring agents in water bodies receiving waste contaminated by metals.

Molecular phylogeny and barcoding of Caulerpa (Bryopsidales) based on the tufA, rbcL, 18S rDNA and ITS rDNA genes.

The biodiversity assessment of different taxa of the genus Caulerpa is of interest from the context of morphological plasticity, invasive potential of some species and biotechnological and pharmacological applications. The present study investigated the identification and molecular phylogeny of different species of Caulerpa occurring along the Indian coast inferred from tufA, rbcL, 18S rDNA and ITS rDNA nucleotide sequences. Molecular data confirmed the identification of 10 distinct Caulerpa species: C. veravalensis, C. verticillata, C. racemosa, C. microphysa, C. taxifolia, C. sertularioides, C. scalpelliformis, C. serrulata, C. peltata and C. mexicana. All datasets significantly supported the sister relationship between C. veravalensis and C. racemosa var. cylindracea. It was also concluded from the results that the specimen identified previously as C. microphysa and C. lentillifera could not be considered as separate species. The molecular data revealed the presence of multiple lineages for C. racemosa which can be resolved into separate species. All four markers were used to ascertain their utility for DNA barcoding. The tufA gene proved a better marker with monophyletic association as the main criteria for identification at the species level. The results also support the use of 18S rDNA insertion sequences to delineate the Caulerpa species through character-based barcoding. The ITS rDNA (5.8S-ITS2) phylogenetic analysis also served as another supporting tool. Further, more sequences from additional Caulerpa specimens will need to be analysed in order to support the role of these two markers (ITS rDNA and 18S insertion sequence) in identification of Caulerpa species. The present study revealed the phylogeny of Caulerpa as complete as possible using the currently available data, which is the first comprehensive report illustrating the molecular phylogeny and barcoding of the genus Caulerpa from Indian waters.