Cyanobacteria represent a large group of bacteria with underestimated scientific potential. Recent studies indicate them as a great reservoir of secondary metabolites with antifungal, antiviral or antibacterial activity. However, common, well established research techniques cannot be easily adapted to these organisms. Slow growth rates and irregular cell aggregates constitute challenges for researchers dealing with cyanobacteria. In this work, we present an innovative new method enabling a quick, easy and economical vitality determination of cyanobacterial strains, as, e.g. required for the finding of optimal cryopreservation conditions. We were able to measure the vitality of previously cryopreserved and defrosted Trichocoleus sociatus samples within 45 min by means of their O2‐production. For each run, a cell wet mass of only 0.5 g was required. By application of this method, we could find DMSO (5% v/v) and glycerin (15% v/v) to be the most promising cryoprotectants for the conservation of T. sociatus cells. DMSO and glycerin guaranteed a vitality rate of 80–90% and 60–70% after up to four weeks of cryopreservation, compared to fresh cell material.

中文翻译：

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能够快速测定蓝藻活力的新方法

蓝藻是一大群具有被低估的科学潜力的细菌。最近的研究表明它们是具有抗真菌、抗病毒或抗菌活性的次级代谢物的重要储存库。然而，常见的、完善的研究技术不容易适应这些生物。缓慢的生长速度和不规则的细胞聚集对研究蓝藻的研究人员构成了挑战。在这项工作中，我们提出了一种创新的新方法，能够快速、简单和经济地测定蓝藻菌株的活力，例如寻找最佳冷冻保存条件所必需的。我们能够在 45 分钟内通过产生 O2 来测量先前冷冻和解冻的 Trichocoleus sociatus 样品的活力。对于每次运行，只需要 0.5 克的细胞湿质量。通过应用这种方法，我们可以发现 DMSO (5% v/v) 和甘油 (15% v/v) 是最有前途的保护 T. sociatus 细胞的冷冻保护剂。与新鲜细胞材料相比，DMSO 和甘油在长达 4 周的冷冻保存后保证了 80-90% 和 60-70% 的活力率。