About us

The culture collections of algae at the University “Federico II” of Naples started in 1973 by Roberto Taddei, and was initially planned as a collection of Cyanidium caldarium strains (sensu lato) from different acid-thermal sites of Italy. The exploration covered mainly Italy and Sicily. During these explorations were also collected different strains of acidophilic algae. Further investigation on acid and thermal sites of Italy led to the isolation of acidoresistant species belonging to Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta and other divisions. (Pinto and Taddei 1977. Le alghe delle acque e dei suoli acidi italiani. Delpinoa 18-19:77-106). In late 1970’s the C. caldarium collection was expanded to similar sites of different Countries, with a focus on Central and North America. In these explorations were collected strains from Yellowstone National Park, Playon de Auachapan (El Salvador), Los Azufres and Cerro Prieto (Mexico). (De Luca et al., 1977. Presenza di Cyanidioschyzon merolae De Luca, Taddei et Varano in ambienti acidi extraeuropei . Delpinoa 18-19:69-76; De Luca et al., 1979. Thermoacidophilic algae of North and Central America. Bot. Gaz., 140:418-427.; Gambardella et al. 1980. Autoecologia ed ultrastruttura di alghe termo acidofile del Nord e Centro America. Delpinoa, 21: 35-45). Following the American explorations , an expedition to Mount Lawu in Java (Indonesia) allowed to collect Cyanidiophyceae in the locus classicus of Cyanidium caldarium. (De Luca et al. 1981. Acidophilic algae from the fumaroles of Mount Lawu (Java), locus classicus of Cyanidium caldarium Geitler. Giorn. Bot. Ital. 115:1-9). Afterwords in 2006 and at a later stage in 2011 Ciniglia increased considerably the number of cyanidiophycean strains in the ACUF collection with the explorations of thermal and acidic sites in Iceland and Turkey.