Demonstrating Principles of Metabolism through Herbicide Treatment of Microalgae

Abstract

An undergraduate laboratory experiment is described which illustrates blockade of a metabolic pathway and the potential environmental impacts of some herbicides. Students use a spectrophotometric assay to examine branched chain amino acid (BCAA) depletion in microalgae cultures treated with sulfosulfuron, an herbicide and known inhibitor of BCAA biosynthesis. Students also compare the growth of microalgae with and without sulfosulfuron treatment. The experiment provides student training in basic cell culture, biochemical assay techniques, and the use of a microplate spectrophotometer.