Quantitative viability detection for a single microalgae cell by two-level photoexcitation.

Area of Science:

• * Biotechnology and Environmental Science

Background:

• * Traditional microalgae viability detection methods face limitations due to fixed standards and sensitivity to cell characteristics.
• * Assessing microalgae health is crucial for ecological monitoring and biotechnological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To introduce a novel, universally applicable method for quantitative, single microalgae cell viability detection.
• * To overcome the limitations of existing methods by employing a two-level photoexcitation technique.

Main Methods:

• * Development of a two-level photoexcitation method for microalgae viability assessment.
• * Utilizing the relative fluorescence yield ratio (F_r) as a universal evaluation criterion.
• * Experimental validation across diverse microalgae species, morphologies, and sizes.

Main Results:

• * The proposed method demonstrates universal applicability, independent of microalgae species, morphology, size, or structure.
• * The relative fluorescence yield ratio (F_r) effectively characterizes single microalgae cell viability during migration.
• * The method eliminates the need for extremely low or saturated light intensities, simplifying sensor development.

Conclusions:

• * The novel two-level photoexcitation method provides a robust and accurate way to assess single microalgae cell viability.
• * The relative fluorescence yield ratio (F_r) offers a universal criterion for microalgae health assessment.
• * The method's portability, accuracy, and broad applicability are suitable for on-site, real-time detection.