A new incubator for measuring photosynthetic activity of phototrophic microorganisms, using the amperometric oxygen method1

Abstract

A new incubator was developed for measuring photosynthesis under strictly controlled conditions, using the amperometric oxygen technique. The most important feature is an incubation vessel equipped with a cooling circuit to keep temperature constant at any desired value ±0.05°C. The shape of the vessel and the virtually parallel light bundle allow determination of the light irradiance experienced by the algae. Samples can be exposed to five different irradiance values (0–1,250 W · m −2 ) simultaneously, without affecting light quality. The photosynthetic response is continuously registered for the study of time‐dependent processes in oxygen evolution.