Application of microfluidics for revealing physiological metabolic response of algae at the single-cell level

Abstract

Dynamic monitoring and analysis of algal cell growth and physiological metabolism play a crucial role in the applications such as lipid synthesis for biofuels, water environment monitoring, and ecological restoration. Conventional algal cell-based assays mainly involve the analysis of the average responses of algal cell populations and thus disregard individual cell heterogeneity, which is crucial to understanding the peculiar function and fate of the cells. Moreover, conventional techniques are time-consuming and labor-intensive and have limited throughput. They also struggle with maintaining continuous nutrients and have hazardous waste flow. Microfluidics has emerged as an attractive alternative technique owing to its ability to process and analyze algal cells with high precision at the single-cell level. Using a bibliometric approach, this review summarizes the current application of microfluidic technology in the analysis of algal physiological metabolism at the single-cell level. Future efforts should focus on scaling up microfluidics from laboratory settings to cost-effective industrial applications. The biocompatible materials used for microfluidics need to be screened widely to determine their suitability for culturing various algal cells. In addition, automated and intelligent microfluidic platforms with real-time sampling and analysis of algae need to be developed to improve work efficiency and expand application. This review outlines the future opportunities and challenges associated with the use of microfluidic technology in advancing biofuel production, water environment monitoring, and water restoration.