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Abstract
Iron is an essential, yet scarce, nutrient in marine environments. Phytoplankton, and especially cyanobacteria, have developed a wide range of mechanisms to acquire iron and maintain their iron-rich photosynthetic machinery. Iron limitation studies often utilize either oceanographic methods to understand large scale processes, or laboratory-based, molecular experiments to identify underlying molecular mechanisms on a cellular level. Here, we aim to highlight the benefits of both approaches to encourage interdisciplinary understanding of the effects of iron limitation on cyanobacteria with a focus on avoiding pitfalls in the initial phases of collaboration. In particular, we discuss the use of trace metal clean methods in combination with sterile techniques, and the challenges faced when a new collaboration is set up to combine interdisciplinary techniques. Methods necessary for producing reliable data, such as High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS), Flow Injection Analysis Chemiluminescence (FIA-CL), and 77K fluorescence emission spectroscopy are discussed and evaluated and a technical manual, including the preparation of the artificial seawater medium Aquil, cleaning procedures, and a sampling scheme for an iron limitation experiment is included. This paper provides a reference point for researchers to implement different techniques into interdisciplinary iron studies that span cyanobacteria physiology, molecular biology, and biogeochemistry.
Highlights
Iron is growth-limiting for phytoplankton in 25%–30% of the world’s oceans [1,2]
Since the discovery of high nutrient-low chlorophyll (HNLC) zones in the oceans, research has focused on the effect of iron limitation on oceanic organisms, especially phytoplankton
All plastic consumables should be cleaned according to stringent procedures [19], and every step of the experimental setup needs to be controlled for bacterial and trace metal contamination
Summary
Iron is growth-limiting for phytoplankton in 25%–30% of the world’s oceans [1,2]. Since the discovery of high nutrient-low chlorophyll (HNLC) zones in the oceans, research has focused on the effect of iron limitation on oceanic organisms, especially phytoplankton. Large-scale international collaborations such as the GEOTRACES program has worked wonders in bringing these research directions closer together, yet initiating smaller scale collaborations with limited infrastructure may prove a challenge despite the wealth of available data [19,20,21,22,23] In this interface paper, we first give a brief overview of the historical perspectives of marine iron research and the role of iron in cyanobacteria such as the model organisms Synechocystis and Synechococcus. The goal of this report is to encourage researchers from relevant fields to collaborate and foster future research initiatives that will complete our understanding of the role of iron in the oceans
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