A rapid cleaning method for diatoms
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Author
Trobajo, Rosa
Mann, David G.
Date
2019-07-18ISSN
0269-249X
Abstract
We describe here a protocol for cleaning diatoms when time is short and the amount of
sample is very limited. Essentially, the method consists of drying material onto coverslips and
cleaning it directly in situ using nitric acid (or hydrogen peroxide), which is evaporated to
dryness. After washing twice or a few times with deionized water, the coverslips are ready for
mounting in resin for light microscopy as usual, or attachment to stubs for scanning electron
microscopy. Besides speed, the method has the advantage that it often preserves some
frustules intact or leaves their different elements (and stages of valve formation) closely
associated with each other. Examples where the method is especially advantageous are to
clean small aliquots of cultures for identification or to act as vouchers, or to explore diversity
of the most abundant species in natural material (e.g. periphyton). It is less suitable for counts
in ecological or palaeoecological studies. We tabulate the many other cleaning methods to
provide context for the new method described here.
Document version
postprint
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
574 - Ecologia general i biodiversitat
Pages
19
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Is part of
Diatom Research
Citation
Trobajo, Rosa, Mann, David G. 2019. “A Rapid Cleaning Method For Diatoms”. Diatom Research 34 (2): 115-124. doi.org/10.1080/0269249X.2019.1637785.
Area
Agrosistemes i Medi Ambient
Program
Aigües Marines i Continentals
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