Isolation and identification of microalgae in Shenzhen Bay with molecular biotechnology

Microalgae are widely used in many areas. Using microalgae for biofuel production is a hot topic in recent years. The location and climatic conditions of Shenzhen are very suitable for the growth of microalgae. In this article, water samples were collected from two depths (shallow and five meters deep) at three different sites in Shenzhen Bay area. Microalgae strains in water samples were isolated by Soil-extract media and Kuhl media. Genomic DNA of each strain was extracted after cultivation and 18S rRNA was amplified by PCR. Then restriction enzymes pst Iand TaqIwere applied to select different strains. After comparing the PCR sequences results with the data in NCBI, the species of microalgae were identified. Seventy-one microalgal strains which belonged to 16 genera were collected and the phylogenetic tree of the microalgae was built by software MEGA 5. Meanwhile, a preliminary collection of native microalgae in Shenzhen was established.