On Wednesday April 21 at 5.30 pm, Dr. David Fewer (Food and Evironmental Sciences, Division of Microbiology University of Helsinki), will address a typical Finnish concern, namely blue-green algae blooms in the Baltic Sea.
The title of his talk is: ”Toxic Cyanobacteria”.
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are an ancient group of photosynthetic prokaryotic organisms that are an important part of many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In fresh and brackish water bodies cyanobacterial cells often multiply and form blooms.
Cyanobacterial blooms are aesthetically unpleasant and can have serious environmental impacts. In addition some cyanobacteria species can produce potent natural toxins. Such toxic cyanobacterial blooms have been reported from fresh and brackish water bodies for over 100 years. These toxins are a threat to humans and animals if consumed from drinking water. Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are an annual phenomenon in Finnish lakes and the Baltic Sea.
Here David Fewer will present an overview of toxic cyanobacterial blooms as well as research carried out at the University of Helsinki on how cyanobacteria produce these toxins. Recent advances in genome biology provide new and unique opportunity to investigate how cyanobacteria produce toxins at a molecular level as well as the discovery of new bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria.
David Fewer
Come and discover how these unpleasant algae produce toxins and endanger our environment!
Venue: Centre Culturel Français, Cable factory, Tallberginkatu 1 (C2) Metro Ruoholahti
Bus 20, 21V, 65, 66
Mark the date! The following Café will be held on Wednesday May 19 at 5.30 pm at the French Cultural Center.
Photo Algae: Rajavartiolaitos/Vartiolentolaivue
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