A living library of thousands of algae, protozoa, and seaweeds sits in freezers and culture flasks on the west coast of Scotland, ready to be shipped to anyone who needs them. The Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) holds strains collected from sea ice, tree bark, rock pools, and soil, some isolated over a century ago. This is not a single experiment but a permanent infrastructure. Without it, researchers would have to rediscover and re-isolate the same organisms every time they needed them—a slow, unreliable process that would stall progress across multiple fields. The collection feeds fish and shellfish hatcheries, provides reference strains for detecting shellfish toxins in food safety labs, and supplies ecotoxicologists with standard organisms for testing water quality. Biotechnologists screen the strains for new bioactive compounds, and biofuel researchers use them to explore algal fuel production. Artists have even used bioluminescent algae from the collection in installations. During this funding period, CCAP will expand its holdings, train staff in new techniques, and integrate genomic data. It will also achieve ISO9001 certification and comply with the Nagoya Protocol on genetic resource access. The collection is fundamentally curiosity-driven—it preserves biodiversity for its own sake—but that biodiversity underpins practical systems in food safety, environmental monitoring, and renewable energy that most people never see.
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The Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) is a resource of living strains of micro-organisms and seaweeds which have been collected from a wide range of environmental habitats. Beginning with Prof Ernst Georg Pringsheim in the early 20th century, scientists have isolated strains from the sea, rock pools, sea-ice, rivers and lakes, soil, tree bark and stone, which have then been maintained in the CCAP as either living cultures or stored frozen in liquid nitrogen. The Collection is based in the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban on the west coast of Scotland. It provides living cultures which are used: 1) By universities for teaching and research 2) By biotechnologists screening for bioactive compounds 3) For fish and shellfish hatcheries for larval feeding 4) As reference strains for shellfish toxin detection 5) As reference strains for ecotoxicologists testing water quality 6) In biofuel research including, as an example, plans by architects to have algal fuel factories in transparent house walls 7) By artists who, for instance, have used microscopic bioluminescent algae in art installations The organisms provide a wealth of biodiversity from beautiful tiny diatoms with glass cell walls of intricate and beautiful shapes; large amoeba which glide around and engulf food particles; fast swimming green unicells and freshwater desmids with bilateral symmetry. As such, CCAP is the most biodiverse culture collection in the world. During the funding period, CCAP will continue to supply all the core functions described and will train staff to in use of innovative techniques. It will respond to its user base and expand its collection to incorporate new discoveries and fully embrace the genomics revolution, as well as develop knowledge around the role of microbiomes to algal health and wellbeing. To help CCAP achieve greater impact, a new Steering Group comprising external experts, along with NOC and SAMS representatives, will provide advice and guidance in support of the Facility. CCAP will continue implementation of a quality assurance management, with the expectation to achieve ISO9001 certification by the end of 2018. CCAP will also address full compliance with the Nagoya Protocol to ensure the fair access and sharing of any benefits derived from the strains safe-guarded by CCAP.
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