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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

High-Throughput Metabolic Profiling for Model Refinements of Microalgae
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High-Throughput Metabolic Profiling for Model Refinements of Microalgae

Published on: December 4, 2021

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High microplastic-microalga ratios facilitate the short-term growth and dissolved organic matter transformation of

Huankai Li1, Feng Zhang1, Fangfang Miao1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.

Journal of Hazardous Materials
|April 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

High microplastic ratios surprisingly boosted microalgal growth and reduced pigment damage by altering the microenvironment. However, this short-term benefit may pose long-term risks to marine ecosystems.

Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Environmental Science
  • Ecotoxicology

Background:

  • Microplastic (MP) toxicity assessments often use unrealistic microplastic-to-microalgae (MM) ratios.
  • The ecological impact of MPs on microalgae, particularly species like Porphyridium cruentum, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of varying MM ratios on the photoinhibition and short-term growth of Porphyridium cruentum.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms behind microalgal responses to different MM ratios.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing Porphyridium cruentum under different MM ratios (e.g., 70, 140).
  • Assessing microalgal growth rates, photosynthetic pigment concentrations, and dissolved organic matter.
  • Analyzing cellular responses including pigment upregulation and gene expression related to DNA repair.

Main Results:

  • High MM ratios (70 and 140) significantly enhanced short-term microalgal growth (up to 45.2%) and reduced photosynthetic pigment degradation.
  • Microplastic adsorption to bounded exopolysaccharides (b-EPs) created a low-oxidative environment, promoting microalgal survival.
  • Microalgae upregulated key photosynthetic pigments (B-phycoerythrin, carotenoids, chlorophyll a) to compensate for MP-induced shading.

Conclusions:

  • Microalgae can utilize b-EPs for short-term stress mitigation against microplastics, demonstrating remarkable plasticity.
  • High MM ratios can lead to phosphate limitation and suppressed cellular processes, indicating potential long-term ecological risks.
  • This study redefines understanding of microalgal resilience in polluted marine environments, highlighting trade-offs between acute stress tolerance and long-term integrity.
Keywords:
Cell shadingGrowth improvementMP shadowMarine microalgaePhotoinhibition alleviation

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