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Population Dynamics Analysis of Chromochloris zofingiensis: A Flow-Cytometry-Based Approach
Yob Ihadjadene1,2,3, Alina Wulff4, Thomas Walther2
1Professorship Automatic Control & System Dynamics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 14, 2026
Summary
Flow cytometry reveals how light color, nitrogen levels, and osmotic stress impact microalgae cell populations. Process conditions significantly alter cell size and division in Chromochloris zofingiensis.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering
- Microalgal Physiology and Cultivation
- Single-cell Analysis
Background:
- Microalgal process optimization often overlooks cell-to-cell heterogeneity, focusing solely on biomass productivity.
- Flow cytometry (FCM) is a high-throughput tool for analyzing single-cell characteristics in microalgae.
- Understanding population dynamics is crucial for optimizing microalgal cultivation for valuable compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel FCM sensor-based method for single-cell analysis of microalgae.
- To investigate the effects of light spectral composition, nitrogen depletion, and osmotic stress on microalgal population structure.
- To monitor the subpopulation dynamics of Chromochloris zofingiensis under various stress conditions.
Main Methods:
- Development of a flow cytometry (FCM) sensor-based single-cell analysis method.
- Cultivation of the green microalgae Chromochloris zofingiensis under controlled conditions.
- Exposure to varied light spectral compositions (blue, red, green), nitrogen depletion, and osmotic stress (0.2 M NaCl).
Main Results:
- FCM effectively monitored microalgal population dynamics, showing significant impacts of process conditions on heterogeneity.
- Cell division was negatively affected by nitrogen depletion, osmotic stress, and their combination, irrespective of light spectrum.
- Green light promoted larger cells (~20 µm), while blue light favored smaller cells (≤4 µm) across all tested conditions.
Conclusions:
- Process conditions, including light spectrum and nutrient/osmotic stress, profoundly influence microalgal population heterogeneity at the single-cell level.
- The developed FCM method is effective for real-time monitoring of microalgal population dynamics and stress responses.
- Tailoring process conditions can modulate cell size distribution and potentially impact the production of lipids, proteins, and carotenoids.
