Preparation, maintenance and propagation of synchronous cultures of photoactive Chlamydomonas cells

Title data

Catalán, Rodrigo E. ; Fragkopoulos, Alexandros ; Girot, Antoine ; Lorenz, Maike ; Bäumchen, Oliver:
Preparation, maintenance and propagation of synchronous cultures of photoactive Chlamydomonas cells.
In: Nature Protocols. (March 2025) .
ISSN 1750-2799
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-024-01135-3

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

The systematic cultivation of species of photosynthetically active ‘green’ microorganisms in research labs started in the 1940s. Among these microorganisms, Chlamydomonas represents a genus of green biciliated microalgae, of which Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has become the main describing species. For decades C. reinhardtii has been used as an established model organism in biology, including research areas such as molecular biology of eukaryotes, photosynthesis, light receptors, cell metabolism, the
dynamics of microtubule assembly and protein transport along cilia. More recently, the use of suspensions of light-responsive living microorganisms has seen a major expansion from the life sciences to the biophysics, statistical physics, fluid dynamics and bioengineering communities. Studies that substantially advance the state of the art in these research areas require the reliable preparation and maintenance of viable, monodisperse and synchronous cell cultures. Although some technical aspects are shared with
standard procedures in cell biology and microbiology, Chlamydomonas and its relatives are photosensitive and, simultaneously, motile, meaning this microorganism requires tailored cultivation protocols that are specific to this species. Here we provide guidance on which Chlamydomonas wild-type and mutant strains are suitable for specific experiments and provide detailed step-by-step procedures to measure culture synchronicity, growth rate of the population, average cell size and motility features. The reliable preparation of cell cultures may facilitate future interdisciplinary research using living suspensions of photoactive microorganisms.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Institutions of the University:	Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Physics Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Physics > Chair Experimental Physics V Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Physics > Chair Experimental Physics V > Chair Experimental Physics V - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Oliver Bäumchen
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science 500 Science > 530 Physics
Date Deposited:	14 Mar 2025 08:52
Last Modified:	14 Mar 2025 08:52
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/92833