Production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in the nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae OL-K10

The aim of the study was to measure the transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) concentration in cultures of Anabaena flos-aquae OL-K10 and to determine the relationship between the quantity of particles produced and the light intensity, the age of the culture and the presence of nitrogen in the culture medium. This is the first time TEP production has been investigated in the Nostocales, an order of nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton species. The results showed that TEP production depends on the presence of nitrogen in the culture medium. The longer the culture is grown, the higher the correlation between its TEP content and its chlorophyll a concentration.