Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID AR_2023_Zhang

Identifying Genetic Markers for Microcystin-Producing Algal Blooms

Institute: Arkansas
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $10,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,000

Principal Investigators: Wen Zhang

Project Summary: Some cyanobacteria produce toxic cyanotoxins, which are harmful to the aquatic ecosystem. So far the exact formation mechanism for HAB remains unknown. Here we aim to identify a genetic marker to monitor HAB and predict cyanotoxins. We plan to collaborate with the Arkansas Water Resources Center in HAB monitoring. We will analyze lake water collected from Lake Fayetteville for genes related with microcystin production using multiplex PCR. We will compare these genes with the toxin level, and select the one(s) that show strong correlations with the toxin. The results could offer a valid DNA-based approach for monitoring microcystin-producing HABs.