• ALGAE
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.349-375
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• 2006

The application of modern ecological, ultrastructural and molecular methods, aided by the cultivation of numerous cyanobacterial morphotypes, has substantially changed our knowledge of these organisms. It has led to major advances in cyanobacterial taxonomy and criteria for their phylogenetic classification. Molecular data provide basic criteria for cyanobacterial taxonomy; however, a correct phylogenetic system cannot be constructed without combining genetic data with knowledge from the previous 150 years research of cyanobacterial diversity. Thus, studies of morphological variation in nature, and modern morphological, ultrastructural, ecophysiological and biochemical characters need to be combined in a “polyphasic” approach. Taxonomic concepts for generic and infrageneric ranks are re-evaluated in light of combined phenotypic and molecular criteria. Despite their usefulness in experimental studies, the limitations of using strains from culture collections for systematic and nomenclatural purposes is highlighted. The need for a continual revision of strain identification and proper nomenclatural practice associated with either the bacteriological or botanical codes is emphasized. Recent advances in taxonomy are highlighted in the context of prospects for understanding cyanobacterial diversity from natural habitats, and the evolutionary and adaptational processes that cyanobacteria undergo.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.130-139
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• 2017

With the need to evaluate accuracy of real-time measurement of cyanobacterial fluorescence to determine cyanobacterial blooms, this research examined 357 paired data (2013-2016) comprising both microscopic toxic cyanobacterial cell counts and concurrent real-time cyanobacterial concentrations at 2 sites (YS1 and YS2) in Yeongsan river. The increase in real-time cyanobacterial concentration was closely associated with the exceedance of 5,000 cyanobacterial cells/ml (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.12) and 10,000 cells/ml (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.12) at YS2 site. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the real-time cyanobacterial measurement at the YS2 site was 0.93, which indicates the measurement provides a high accurate detection of cyanobacterial blooms. On the ROC curve, the early alert levels of real-time cyanobacteria ranging $16-23{\mu}g$ chl-a/L would produce acceptable sensitivity of 79% and specificities greater than 90%. The real-time fluorescence measurement was found to be an accurate indicator of cyanobacteria and can serve as a tool for detecting toxic cyanobacterial bloom events in Youngsan river.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.424-437
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• 2018

The incidence of freshwater algal bloom has been increasing globally in recent years and poses a major threat to environmental health. Cyanobacteria are the major component of the bloom forming community that must be monitored frequently. Their morphological identities, however, have remained elusive, due to their small size in cells and morphological resemblances among species. We have analyzed molecular diversity and seasonal changes of cyanobacteria in Paldang Reservoir, Korea, using morphological and 16S rRNA pyrosequencing methods. Samples were collected at monthly intervals from the reservoir March-December 2012. In total, 40 phylotypes of cyanobacteria were identified after comparing 49,131 pyrosequence reads. Cyanobacterial genera such as Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Microcystis and Synechocystis were predominantly present in samples. However, the majority of cyanobacterial sequences (65.9%) identified in this study were of uncultured origins, not detected morphologically. Relative abundance of cyanobacterial sequences was observed as high in August, with no occurrence in March and December. These results suggested that pyrosequencing approach may reveal cyanobacterial diversity undetected morphologically, and may be used as reference for studying and monitoring cyanobacterial communities in aquatic environments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.290-296
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• 2004

The effects of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and iron on cyanobacterial bloom potentials were investigated in Daechung Reservoir, Korea. Potassium showed the highest correlation with the cyanobacterial cell number (r=0.487, P<0.05) and phycocyanin concentration (r=0.499, P<0.05). However, it was not likely that the potassium had directly affected the bloom formation, because the variations of its concentration were not significantly large. In contrast, the Fe concentration fluctuated drastically and exhibited a negative correlation with the cyanobacterial cell number (r=- 0.388, P<0.1) and phycocyanin concentration (r=-0.446, P<0.05). Accordingly, the K:Fe atomic ratio would appear to reflect the extent of cyanobacterial bloom more precisely than K or Fe alone. The K:Fe ratio specifically correlated with cyanobacterial percentage, the cyanobacterial cell number and phycocyanin concentration (r=0.840, P<0.001; r=0.416, P<0.05; r=0.522, P<0.01, respectively). With the K:Fe atomic ratio of over 200, the chlorophyll-a concentration, cyanobacterial cell number, and phycocyanin concentration exceeded $10\mu$g $1^{-1}$20,000 cells $ml^{-1}$, and 20 pM, respectively, the general criteria of eutrophic water.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.286-294
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• 2015

Temporal and spatial characteristics of cyanobacterial communities at the monitoring stations for Harmful Algal Bloom Alert System (HABAS) in Nakdong River and Lake Dukdong were investigated for two years (2013 to 2014). A total of 30 cyanobacterial species from 14 genera were found at the survey stations. Microcystis sp. showed maximum cell density in the total cyanobacterial community in August, 2014 at ND-2 and in September, 2013 at ND-3 station. Lynbya limnetica and Geitlerinema sp., non-target species for alert criteria showed maximum cell density at ND-1 (August, 2013) and Dam station of Lake Dukdong (September, 2014), respectively. Total cyanobacterial cell density and the relative abundance of four target genera (Microcystis, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon and Oscillatoria spp.) for alert criteria was relatively lower in the mesotrophic Lake Dukdong than at the eutrophic riverine stations of Nakdong River, indicating cyanobacterial density and the RA of target genera is affected by the trophic state of the monitoring stations. Simulating the alert system using phycocyanin concentration as an alert criterion resulted in the longer period of alert issued compared to the period of alert issued using the current criterion of harmful cyanobacterial cell density due to the influence of phycocyanin concentration from non-target cyanobacterial species.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.267-275
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• 2009

Over the years, cyanobacteria have been regarded as ideal model systems for studying fundamental biochemical processes like oxygenic photosynthesis and carbon and nitrogen assimilation. Additionally, they have been used as human foods, sources for vitamins, proteins, fine chemicals, and bioactive compounds. Aiming to increase plant productivity as well as nutritional values, cyanobacterial genes involved in carbon metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and pigment biosynthesis have been intensively exploited as alternatives to homologous gene sources. In this short review, transgenic plants with cyanobacterial genes generated over the last two decades are examined, and the future prospects for transgenic crops using cyanobacterial genes obtained from functional genomics studies of numerous cyanobacterial genomes information are discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2007

Chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ concentration and cyanobacterial cell density are regularly employed as dual criteria for determinations of the alert level for cyanobacterial bloom. However, chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ is not confined only to the cyanobacteria, but is found universally in eukaryotic algae. Furthermore, the determination of cyanobacterial cell counts is notoriously difficult, and is unduly dependent on individual variation and trained skill. A cyanobacteria-specific parameter other than the cell count or chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ concentration is, accordingly, required in order to improve the present cyanobacterial bloom alert system. Phycocyanin has been shown to exhibit a strong correlation with a variety of bloom-related factors. This may allow for the current alert system criteria to be replaced by a three-stage alert system based on phycocyanin concentrations of 0.1, 30, and $700\;{\mu}g/L$. This would also be advantageous in that it would become far more simple to conduct measurements without the need for expensive equipment, thereby enabling the monitoring of entire lakes more precisely and frequently. Thus, an alert system with superior predictive ability based on highthroughput phycocyanin measurements appears feasible.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.233-242
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• 2013

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are not only the first oxygenic organisms on earth but also the foremost primary producers in aquatic environment. Massive growth of cyanobacteria, in eutrophic waters, usually changes the water colour to green and is called as algal (cyanobacterial) bloom or green tide. Cyanobacterial blooms are a result of high levels of primary production by certain species such as Microcystis sp., Anabaena sp., Oscillatoria sp., Aphanizomenon sp. and Phormidium sp. These cyanobacterial species can produce hepatotoxins or neurotoxins as well as malodorous compounds like geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). In order to solve the nationwide problem of hazardous cyanobacterial blooms in Korea, the following technically and strategically sound approaches need to be developed. 1) As a long-term strategy, reduction of the nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen in our water bodies to below permitted levels. 2) As a short term strategy, field application of combination of already established bloom remediation techniques. 3) Development of emerging convergence technologies based on information and communication technology (ICT), environmental technology (ET) and biotechnology (BT). 4) Finally, strengthening education and creating awareness among students, public and industry for effective reduction of pollution discharge. Considering their ecological roles, a complete elimination of cyanobacteria is not desirable. Hence a holistic approach mentioned above in combination to addressing the issue from a social perspective with cooperation from public, government, industry, academic and research institutions is more pragmatic and desirable management strategy.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.451-464
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• 2023

Harmful cyanobacterial monitoring is time-consuming and requires skilled professionals. Recently, Phycocyanin, the accessory pigment unique to freshwater cyanobacteria, has been proposed as an indicator for the presence of cyanobacteria, with the advantage of rapid and simple measurement. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the correlation between the harmful cyanobacterial cell density and the concentration of phycocyanin and to consider how to use the real-time water quality monitoring system for algae bloom monitoring. In the downstream of the Nakdong River, Microcystis spp. showed maximum cell density (99 %) in harmful cyanobacteria (four target genera). A strong correlation between phycocyanin(measured in the laboratory) concentrations and harmful cyanobacterial cell density was observed (r = 0.90, p < 0.001), while a weaker relationship (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) resulted between chlorophyll a concentration and harmful cyanobacterial cell density. As a result of comparing the phycocyanin concentration (measured in submersible fluorescence sensor) and harmful cyanobacterial cell density, the error range increased as the number of cyanobacteria cells increased. Before opening the estuary bank, the diurnal variations of phycocyanin concentrations did not mix by depth, and in the case of the surface layer, a pattern of increase and decrease over time was shown. This study is the result of analysis when Microcystis spp. is dominant in downstream of Nakdong River in summer, therefore the correlation between the harmful cyanobacteria density and phycocyanin concentrations should be more generalized through spatio-temporal expansion.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.268-279
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• 2023

Nowadays, artificial intelligence model approaches such as machine and deep learning have been widely used to predict variations of water quality in various freshwater bodies. In particular, many researchers have tried to predict the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in inland water, which pose a threat to human health and aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, the objective of this study were to: 1) review studies on the application of machine learning models for predicting the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms and its metabolites and 2) prospect for future study on the prediction of cyanobacteria by machine learning models including deep learning. In this study, a systematic literature search and review were conducted using SCOPUS, which is Elsevier's abstract and citation database. The key results showed that deep learning models were usually used to predict cyanobacterial cells, while machine learning models focused on predicting cyanobacterial metabolites such as concentrations of microcystin, geosmin, and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) in reservoirs. There was a distinct difference in the use of input variables to predict cyanobacterial cells and metabolites. The application of deep learning models through the construction of big data may be encouraged to build accurate models to predict cyanobacterial metabolites.