THE PLANKTONIC PHOTOTROPHIC CILIATE, MESODINIUM-RUBRUM, AS A USEFUL ORGANISM FOR MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Recently, Mesodinium rubrum red tides were reported in some enclosed c oastal waters of Korea, and samples were tested to establish a M. rubr um laboratory culture. The fragility of this photosynthetic organism h as long been a major obstacle to its physiological study, M. rubrum is an ideal organism far marine biotechnological applications, if it can be routinely cultured and maintained in the laboratory. It has an ext remely high rate of CO2 assimilation (up to 2200 mg C/m(3)/h) and can grow at cell densities of up to 10-20 million cells per liter, making M. rubrum suitable for rapid removal (or biological recycling) of diss olved CO2 and combined N and P ions in seawater, M. rubrum fan tolerat e variations in salinity (3-40 parts per thousand) and temperature (0- 24 degrees C). It has not been reported to be able to release toxic ma terial and is present with many natural coastal diatoms. Possibilities of mass production of cryptophycean phycobiliprotein, separate handli ng of ciliate nuclei and cryptophycean nucleus, and easy harvesting (a pplying its phototatic characteristics) are the other aspects of its i ndustrial application.