Figure 5.

Trichome length affects the performance of the community. Trichomes were varied in initial length from short (10 cells filament⁻¹) to long (150 cells filament⁻¹) but with identical diazotroph: photoautotroph ratios of 3:7 (excepting 75 cells filament⁻¹ which was 3.1:7) and initial cell counts (150 total) in the total population. Black asterisks are Student’s T-tests P-Values < 0.05 when comparing that cellular population to the 100 μE case in every group. Dashed black lines are experimentally measured values and the gray dashed lines are their standard errors measured in the Boyle Laboratory (0.271 ± 0.0129 d⁻¹ for growth rate, 0.0939 ± 0.0131 g cyanophycin/g DW, 0.455 ± 0.0440 g glycogen/g DW). Growth conditions represent the columns progressing as follows: 100 μE light in YBC-II media and atmospheric conditions, 50 μE light in YBC-II media and atmospheric conditions, 25 μE light in YBC-II media and atmospheric conditions, 1.25 mM (versus 2.5 mM) HCO₃⁻ and 200 ppm (versus 400 ppm) CO₂ in otherwise atmospheric conditions and YBC-II media with 100 μE light, and 0.395 atm (versus 0.79 atm) N₂ in otherwise atmospheric conditions and YBC-II media with 100 μE.