Many species of cyanobacteria accumulate alkanes in their cells. It has been reported that these cyanobacteria accumulate mainly 15 long carbon chain alkane, pentadecane (C15H32), or/and 17 long chain alkane, heptadecane (C17H36). Here we describe a protocol of our laboratory for extraction and quantification of cyanobacterial intracellular pentadecane and heptadecane. We have confirmed this protocol was applicable to at least three kinds of cyanobacteria, nitrogen-fixing filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120, non-diazotrophic unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 and halotolerant unicellular cyanobacterium Aphanothece halophytica.
