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Updated: May 23, 2026

A Simple and Rapid Protocol for Measuring Neutral Lipids in Algal Cells Using Fluorescence
Published on: May 30, 2014
BODIPY staining, an alternative to the Nile Red fluorescence method for the evaluation of intracellular lipids in
T Govender1, L Ramanna, I Rawat
1Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4001, South Africa.
Abstract:
In order to develop feasible production processes for microalgal biodiesel, the isolation of high neutral lipid producing microalgae is crucial. Since the established Nile Red (NR) method for detection of intracellular lipids has been successful only for some microalgae, a more broadly applicable detection method would be desirable. Therefore, BODIPY 505/515, a lipophilic bright green fluorescent dye was tested for detection of intracellular lipids in Chlorella vulgaris, Dunaliella primolecta and Chaetoceros calcitrans. An optimum concentration of 0.067 μg ml(-1) was determined for lipid staining in the microalgae. Compared to NR, BODIPY 505/515 was more effective in staining microalgae and showed resistance to photobleaching, maintaining its fluorescence longer than 30 min.
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