July 4 2025
How to Release Spores for Gametophyte Culture
In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through releasing spores from two fascinating species: Alaria and Nereocystis. These spores will then grow new gametophyte cultures in our Seaweed bioreactors.
Materials neeeded:
- Sterilized scalpel
- Clean paper towels
- Alcohol spray
- Sterile seawater
- Flame source
- Water with nutrients
- Tweezers
Step 1 Isolate the Sorus Tissue:
- Carefully place your Alaria or Nereocystis blade on a clean paper towel.
- Using a sterilized blade, make a precise cut along the edge of the fertile tissue.
- Gently clean the excised tissue with an alcohol-soaked paper towel. Remember to use a new paper towel for each species to prevent cross-contamination.
- Place the extracted tissue on a clean paper towel, separating each species.
Step 2 Spore release:
- Before starting, sterilize a flask and fill it with clean seawater enriched with nutrients.
- Using a sterilized blade, cut the reproductive tissue into thin strips.
- Quickly transfer the tissue strips into the sterilized flask.
- Flame your tools between transfers to maintain sterility.
- Reseal the flask.
More information on our Seaweed Bioreactors here.