The International Symposium on Microcystis Studies from Asia, organized by Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHB) and Chinese Society of Phycology, was held in Wuhan during April 5 and 7. The symposium was jointly supported by the State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology & Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation Biology at IHB.

The main tasks of this symposium are to bring together scientists working on different aspects of Microcystis or Microcystis blooms (Cyanobacterial blooms), and to establish an important platform for discussion and exchange of ideas on Microcystis (or toxic cyanobacterial) studies among researchers in Asian countries.  

The opening ceremony was chaired by IHB Prof. LI Renhui, principal investigator of the Research Group of Biology of Harmful Algae. IHB’s deputy director Prof. XU Xudong gave a welcome speech to all the attendees.  

The symposium was organized around keynote lectures, oral communications and poster presentations, followed by discussions. Professors who made keynote lectures are Prof. Wayne Carmichael from Wright State University, Prof. Nakano Shin-ichi from Kyoto University, Prof. Hee-Mock Oh from Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Prof. KONG Fanxiang from Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, CAS, Prof. PAN Gang from Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS, as well as Profs. SONG Lirong and LI Renhui from IHB. Their topics varied from the worldwide risks that microcystis pose to the environment, animal and human health, genotypic diversity of artificial Microcystis bloom occurred in experimental ponds, cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Taihu and its response to climate changes, diversity and taxonomy of Microcystis and related water bloom forming cyanobacteria, succession and competition between bloom-forming cyanobacterial Microcystis and aphanizomenon in Lake Dianchi etc.  

26 oral presentations as well as 46 posters were submitted to the symposium, presenting the latest achievements in microcystis in Asia. The attendees discussed on issues concerning with diversity, taxonomy and monitoring on microcystis blooms; molecular biology, genetics and genomics of Microcystis; physio-ecology of Microcystis and methods & technologies for controlling Microcystis blooms; detection, toxicity and toxicology of Microcystins and related compounds.  

The attendees visited the Museum for Aquatic Organisms and Freshwater Algae Culture Collection at IHB during the symposium. They interacted with IHB scholars and both sides hoped the symposium can serve as a long-term platform for scientists to share knowledge and expertise through active participation.  

About 150 scholars and students from universities, institutes and environmental monitoring departments of Japan, South Korea, India, United States and China attended this symposium.