9317958 Palenik The flow cytometer provides the unique capability of rapid analyzing the fluorescence, scattering, and several chemical and biochemical parameters of individual cells. This proposal requests funds to acquire a flow cytometer for the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) to be jointly used by several investigators working in diverse areas. The instrument will be used to provide samples. This information will be used to understand the morphological and genetic diversity of these organisms, their effects on the biooptical properties of the water column, and their responses to nutrient and other environmental stresses. In a novel application, the instrument will be used to characterize the bioactive secondary metabolites produced by currently unculturable organisms isolated from field samples by flow cytometric sorting. The flow cytometer will also be used on laboratory cultures to study physiological responses of particular species to various environmental stresses. This research is part of efforts to develop molecular probes as indicators for particular stresses and to parameterize optical models of oceanic photosynthesis as a function of particular stresses.
