Testeinrichtung2: Sammlung von Algenkulturen (SAG)

The Sammlung von Algenkulturen der Universität Göttingen (Culture Collection of Algae at Göttingen University, international acronym SAG) is a comprehensive biological resource center for living culture materials of microalgae and ranks among the largest algal service collections worldwide.

• It supports the scientific, biotechnological, and educational communities globally through its various services and curatorial roles. These services include expert knowledge in the ex situ conservation, isolation, and identification of microalgae.


• Approximately 2,300 strains, representing nearly all classes and phyla of eukaryotic algae as well as cyanobacteria, and encompassing more than 500 genera and 1,400 named species, are accessible from SAG.


• The SAG Culture Collection receives requests for algal cultures from scientists across the globe, from various institutions, industries, environmental research agencies, as well as universities and high schools for educational purposes.


• The quality of algal material is evaluated through growth tests for contamination, microscopic documentation, and the routine application of DNA sequence signatures and barcodes.


• Algal strains are characterized using molecular tools for precise identification and authentication.


• Genetically stable culture stocks are available through cryopreservation.


• High-resolution AFLP fingerprinting has been established at SAG as a sensitive molecular tool to unequivocally assess diversity among strains of the same species and to verify the genomic/metagenomic integrity of strains post-cryopreservation.