Collecting samples since 1991
About Lege
The Blue Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology Culture Collection (LEGE-CC) is a vital resource for research, innovation, and education in both scientific and industrial fields. Hosted at CIIMAR in Matosinhos, Portugal, LEGE-CC was established in 1991 and is the oldest Portuguese culture collection dedicated to cyanobacteria and microalgae.
With over 1100 strains, LEGE-CC supports sustainable solutions for global challenges, from biomedical research to eco-friendly innovations. The collection includes isolates mainly from Portuguese ecosystems, including the Azores and Madeira, as well as isolated strains from international regions like Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and more.
With its rich taxonomic and genetic diversity, LEGE-CC offers unmatched potential for discovery in fields where sustainable, nature-based solutions are increasingly in demand.
Collecting samples since
Different cyanobacterial and microalgae strains comprised
As part of the Portuguese Blue Biobank and affiliated with networks like WFCC, ECCO, EMBRC, and MIRRI, LEGE-CC plays a strategic role in advancing blue biotechnology. Its strains have contributed to studies on cancer, antibiotics, anti-obesity treatments, biofouling prevention, cosmetics and food.
Several studies demonstrated that our LEGE-CC stains have potential and effective capacity to produce a diverse array of metabolites, including toxins (e.g. microcystins, anatoxin, cylindrospermopsin and BMAA) or newly discovered molecules (Portoamides, Hierridin B and C, Bartolosides, Nocuolin A, etc).
As other biological resource centers worldwide, LEGE-CC seeks to provide several services (e.g. provision of starter cultures for diverse purposes, isolation and identification of strains, cyanotoxins analysis, cryopreservation, training courses, etc.).