Data from: Experimental evolution in the cyanobacterium <i>Trichormus variabilis</i>: increases in size and morphological diversity.

Data deposited in this repository was collected during the investigation entitled; Experimental evolution in the cyanobacterium Trichormus variabilis: increases in size and morphological diversity.

Using experimental evolution, we selected the filamentous cyanobacteria T. viariabilis larger size by means of settling selection. The experimental design consisted of 20 replicate populations, ten propagated without selection, and ten populations were transferred by means of settling selection. Settling selection consisted of centrifugation of a 1.5 mL sample of a 72h grown population at 100 g for 30 seconds and transferring the bottom 100 µL of the 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube to fresh media. The other ten were propagated in batch culture transferring 100 µL of a mixed population to fresh media after 72h growth. The selection experiment was carried out for 45 transfer cycles. 

Data present the morphology, size, growth, and settling rate of the populations over time, and at the end of the experiment, transfer cycle 45. The population's growth cycle was assessed at transfer 45 over two transfer cycles. Populations were assessed by image analysis of populations' microphotographs. 

Morphological classification of the evolved morphologies was assessed by a double-blind volunteer panel and by objective analyses of the population's microphotographs. Canonical evolved Cluster and Tangle morphologies were compared using Principal Component Analysis. 

Lyticase and 2% β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase treatment of the populations enables the assessment of heritability of the evolved morphologies starting with single cells.