Algae Microbial Activity Detector

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the direct source of energy required for all life activities, and the growth of phytoplankton also relies on ATP produced by cell photosynthesis. In the monitoring and evaluation methods of lake algal blooms, algal density and chlorophyll-a concentration are the main indicators, and the analysis methods used include direct microscopy counting, spectrophotometry, fluorescence, and so on. These methods are relatively cumbersome to operate, time-consuming, and cannot complete quantitative testing of multiple water samples in a short period of time, making it difficult to meet the needs of on-site analysis and emergency analysis.
Algae Microbial Activity DetectorAs a method for rapidly estimating the biomass of phytoplankton and chlorophyll-a concentration in water bodies, it has the advantages ofSimple operation, short time consumption (<5 minutes), high sensitivity (0.5ug/L chlorophyll-a), direct analysis of the target (ATP in all algal cells)The characteristics of on-site assessment of algal bloom severity, early monitoring, and emergency sampling analysis have been adopted by some research structures and governments.

The three-step method for ATP rapid detection:
1. Take 50ml of water sample and filter it to trap the algae in the filter membrane

2. Extract ATP from trapped algae cells and dilute and stabilize it

3. Calculate ATP concentration based on enzyme reaction results

Use case
In a study conducted by the Nevada Water Authority, a mathematical correlation between ATP concentration and chlorophyll-a concentration was established through one-year analysis of five sampling points on Lake Mead, and 175 pg/mL ATP (corresponding to 5ug/L chlorophyll) was used as the trigger concentration for algal bloom warning monitoring. Meanwhile, the study also found that compared to other parameters, ATP detection can be performed quicklyTo evaluate the effectiveness of chemical treatment for algal blooms, as the death of algae directly leads to a decrease in ATP concentration, while other methods require waiting for a certain period of time to determine the treatment effect.

The Victorian Water Authority in Australia also uses ATP data to assess the severity of algal blooms in its daily monitoring of the Murray River. The dQGO-M reagent they used had a lower filtration accuracy filter head (5 μ m) compared to conventional QGA reagents, which allowed only slightly larger microorganisms (such as blue-green algae) to be retained while allowing smaller bacteria to pass through. A correlation (R2=0.9066) was established between the total biomass of algae and ATP concentration through regression analysis of four different types of algae.

Comprehensive correlation between biomass and ATP of four algal species