Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Adenosine Triphosphate (Atp) As A Metric Of Microbial Biomass In Aquatic Systems: New Simplified Protocols, Laboratory Validation, And A Reflection On Data From The Literature, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Alison N. Stouffer, Nyjaee N. Washington

OES Faculty Publications

The use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a universal biomass indicator is built on the premise that ATP concentration tracks biomass rather than the physiological condition of cells. However, reportedly high variability in ATP in response to environmental conditions is the main reason the method has not found widespread application. To test possible sources of this variability, we used the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as a model and manipulated its growth rate through nutrient limitation and through exposure to three different temperatures (15°C, 20°C, and 25°C). We simplified the ATP protocol with hot‐water or chemical extraction methods, modified a commercially available …