Microfluidic Approaches for Algae Culture in Controlled Oxygen Environments

Microfluidic platforms are excellent tools for studying the effects of precisely controlled oxygen and other gas environments on various biological systems, from mammalian cell culture to bacteria to algal species. Here, microfluidic approaches for exploring the effect of gas environments on members of the Volvocine algae are presented. A multilayer microfluidic device incorporating gas and hydration channels for the successful culture of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under carefully controlled gas conditions was built and characterized. A device for generating and on-chip storage of droplets of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in oil was developed for observation of the microalgae’s proliferation over several days. Additionally, it was demonstrated that Volvox carteri grows successfully in a microfluidic device.