Why Sequence a Green Alga?

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a single-celled chlorophyte, or green alga. Highly adaptable, it lives in many different environments throughout the world. Normally deriving energy from photosynthesis, C. reinhardtii can also thrive in total darkness if acetate is available as a carbon source.

The relative adaptability and quick generation time has made Chlamydomonas an important model for biological research. Over the years, studies of Chlamydomonas have provided major research contributions in the areas of photosynthesis and molecular biology. For more information, check out the Chlamydomonas white paper (a text file).

Genome Portal site: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii