Great paper: a droplet #microfluidics assay to encapsulate single micron-sized algae to study long-term #behaviour.
https://elifesciences.org/articles/76519#fig4
by Bentley et al. gielenlab.com and @micromotility
A thread.
#Chlamydomonas (2 #cilia) and #Pyramimonas (8 cilia) #algae were encapsulated into droplets by #microfluidics and imaged at high speed to characterise gait switching dynamics and the effect of light.
The locomotion of single-cells is characterised by a trio of motility macrostates (run, stop, tumble) with distinct transition probabilities that could be quantified by long-term imaging.
The motility is light-switchable, which was known, but the long-term imaging of single cells in light and dark revealed a cellular #memory: the light-altered behavioural state persisted after light off.
The authors also developed and tested a novel droplet-fusion assay to expose single cells in a controlled manner to chemicals. This could be a very elegant way to e.g., dissect #signalling mechanisms in the cells by #pharmacology.
Finally, here is the Editor's evaluation from @elife
This paper reports on the development of an impressive microfluidic platform for the study of motility, and motility transitions, exhibited by single algal cells in circular confinement. Building on previous work that showed a three-state motility repertoire for certain green algae, the present work uses extremely long time series and a variety of physical perturbations to show how those dynamics can be altered by environmental conditions. The work will be of interest to a wide range of scientists studying motility and non-equilibrium dynamics.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.76519.sa0
