Microfluidic method for rapidly determining the protein and lipid yield of microalgae

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microalgal Cultivation
• Green Energy

Background:

• Microalgae are a sustainable resource for biofuels and bioproducts.
• Efficient screening methods are needed to identify high-yield algal strains.
• Current methods for algal cultivation and analysis are labor-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a microfluidic chip for culturing and screening microalgae.
• To enable parallel cultivation and treatment of over 30 microalgal cultures.
• To facilitate high-throughput analysis of protein and lipid content.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a simple, optically transparent polymethyl methacrylate microfluidic chip.
• Parallel cultivation of microalgae in hanging drops.
• In-situ fluorescein measurements for protein content analysis.
• In-situ Raman spectroscopy for lipid composition determination.

Main Results:

• Validated chip design with Cyanidium sp., observing a 36% increase in protein yield in selected mutants.
• Optimized illumination (2500 lux) further increased protein yield by approximately 35%.
• Demonstrated rapid quantification and detailed chemical composition analysis of lipids in Botryococcus braunii using Raman spectroscopy.

Conclusions:

• The microfluidic chip supports in-situ fluorescent assays and Raman microspectroscopy.
• This system offers a compelling solution for high-throughput screening of algal lipids and proteins.
• The technology reduces labor in breeding mutant algae and optimizing cultivation for green energy.