MIcrobial DIversity CHIP database

In order to be protected, biodiversity must be evaluated. For cyanobacteria, the traditional morphological measures of biodiversity are unsatisfactory. We utilize molecular markers (like SSU rRNA) to define taxa on the basis of phylogeny. In freshwater ecosystems huge populations of cyanobacteria can occur. These blooms may release toxins that make the water poisonous. A second part of the study is to compare the temporal dynamics of biodiversity in both natural and disturbed lakes. This comparative analysis requires the use of ecological indexes to summarise the diversity of the samples and allow inferences about the ecosystem to be made.