Microalgae empower skeletal muscle via increased force production and viability

Area of Science:

• Tissue Engineering
• Biomaterials
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Engineered skeletal muscle is crucial for tissue engineering and biohybrid robotics.
• Current muscle constructs face limitations in force generation, stability, and scalability due to poor oxygenation and nutrient supply.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative approach for enhancing engineered skeletal muscle.
• To address limitations in oxygenation and nutrient delivery using a photosynthetic microalga.

Main Methods:

• Coculturing *Chlamydomonas reinhardtii* (a microalga) with C2C12 myoblasts within a hydrogel matrix.
• Utilizing the photosynthetic activity of *C. reinhardtii* to support muscle construct development.
• Evaluating construct contractility, force generation, cellular viability, and tissue integrity.

Main Results:

• Microalgae-empowered muscle (MAM) constructs demonstrated significantly higher active force generation (nearly threefold increase) compared to conventional constructs.
• MAM exhibited improved cellular viability and reduced tissue damage, attributed to in situ oxygen and nutrient supply.
• Enhanced myotube alignment was observed in MAM, contributing to superior force output.

Conclusions:

• Photosynthetic microalgae can be effectively integrated as a functional component in engineered skeletal muscle.
• This approach offers a viable solution to overcome critical challenges in oxygenation and nutrient delivery for advanced muscle tissue engineering.
• The findings highlight the potential of microalgae-based strategies for developing more robust and functional bioengineered tissues.