The movement patterns of microscopic algae can be mapped in greater detail than ever before, providing new insights into ocean health, thanks to new technology developed at the University of Exeter.
The new platform allows scientists to study the movement patterns of microscopic algae in unprecedented detail. The insight could have implications for understanding and preventing harmful algal blooms, and for the development of algal biofuels, which could one day provide an alternative to fossil fuels.
Microscopic algae play a key role in ocean ecosystems, forming the foundations of aquatic food webs and sequestering most of the world’s carbon. Therefore, the health of the oceans depends on maintaining stable algal communities. There is growing concern that changes in ocean composition such as acidification may disrupt algal proliferation and community composition. Many species move and swim around to find sources of light or nutrients in order to maximize photosynthesis.
New microfluidic technology, now published in eLife, will allow scientists to capture and image single microalgae swimming inside microdroplets, for the first time. The cutting-edge development has enabled the team to study how microscopic algae explore their micro-environment and track and assess their long-term behaviour. Most importantly, they characterized how individuals differ from each other and respond to sudden changes in the composition of their habitat, such as the presence of light or certain chemicals.
Lead author Dr Kirsty Wan, from the University of Exeter’s Institute of Living Systems, said: “This technology means we can now investigate and advance our understanding of the swimming behavior of any microscopic organism, in detail that has not been has been possible before. This will help us understand how they control their swimming patterns and the potential for adaptation to future climate change and other challenges.”
In particular, the team found that the presence of strongly curved interfaces, in combination with the microscopic cork-like swimming of the organisms, drive the macroscopic chiral motion (always clockwise or counterclockwise) seen in the average cell trajectory .
The technology has a wide range of potential uses and could represent a new way of classifying and quantifying not only the environmental intelligence of cells, but also the complex patterns of behavior in any organism, including animals.
Dr Wan added: “Ultimately, we aim to develop predictive models for swimming and cultivating microbial and microalgal communities in each relevant habitat leading to a deeper understanding of current and future marine ecology. Knowledge of the behavior of detailing what happens at the individual cell level is therefore an essential first step”.
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