Morphological and molecular methods to select microalgae strains present in solid urban waste leachates

Abstract

The high metabolic capacity of microalgae coupled with a lack of total diversity and evolutionary history studies make essential the prospecting of whole environments. In the present study, microalgae diversity within the Asturian landfill was investigated. Fourteen strains were isolated and scaled-up in liquid mono-cultures. They were identified through a combination of morphologic features with molecular assignation by DNA barcoding via 18S and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2. A new specie named Coelastrella cogersae was discover. Moreover, it showed a caretogenic behavior during the culture. To summarize, the first screening of microalgae within a landfill has shed successful results based on morphological and molecular approaches. In addition, biotechnological capacities were found inside isolates.