Measurement of oxygen consumption in Tenebrio molitor using a sensitive, inexpensive, sensor-based coulometric...

Area of Science:

• Physiological ecology
• Environmental monitoring
• Biophysics

Background:

• Coulometric respirometry is a sensitive technique for measuring oxygen (O2) consumption, but its adoption by physiologists is limited.
• Existing methods may lack continuous environmental data or ease of fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel, Arduino-controlled coulometric microrespirometer.
• To demonstrate its utility for measuring O2 consumption in small organisms.
• To highlight its advantages in terms of data acquisition and adaptability.

Main Methods:

• A sealed glass chamber houses a digital environmental sensor and is controlled by an Arduino microcontroller.
• Oxygen (O2) consumption causes a pressure drop, detected by the sensor.
• Electrolytic O2 production maintains constant pressure, with consumption calculated from charge transfer.

Main Results:

• The apparatus successfully measured O2 consumption in Tenebrio molitor beetles.
• Effects of developmental stage, body mass, and temperature on O2 consumption were readily assessed.
• Continuous environmental data within the chamber were acquired.

Conclusions:

• The described coulometric microrespirometer is a straightforward, innovative design.
• It offers continuous environmental monitoring and is easily fabricated.
• The apparatus is adaptable for diverse physiological research applications.