Separation, Characterization, and Handling of Microalgae by Dielectrophoresis
1
Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstr. 76, ACK24, 13355 Berlin, Germany
2
IHP–Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2020, 8(4), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040540
Received: 9 March 2020 / Revised: 1 April 2020 / Accepted: 5 April 2020 / Published: 9 April 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Cultivation and Analysis in Microsystems)
Microalgae biotechnology has a high potential for sustainable bioproduction of diverse high-value biomolecules. Some of the main bottlenecks in cell-based bioproduction, and more specifically in microalgae-based bioproduction, are due to insufficient methods for rapid and efficient cell characterization, which contributes to having only a few industrially established microalgal species in commercial use. Dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic devices have been long established as promising tools for label-free handling, characterization, and separation of broad ranges of cells. The technique is based on differences in dielectric properties and sizes, which results in different degrees of cell movement under an applied inhomogeneous electrical field. The method has also earned interest for separating microalgae based on their intrinsic properties, since their dielectric properties may significantly change during bioproduction, in particular for lipid-producing species. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic devices that are used for handling, characterization, and separation of microalgae. Additionally, we provide a perspective on related areas of research in cell-based bioproduction that can benefit from dielectrophoresis-based microdevices. This work provides key information that will be useful for microalgae researchers to decide whether dielectrophoresis and which method is most suitable for their particular application.
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Keywords:
microalgae; dielectrophoresis; cell sorting; microfluidics
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Abt, V.; Gringel, F.; Han, A.; Neubauer, P.; Birkholz, M. Separation, Characterization, and Handling of Microalgae by Dielectrophoresis. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 540. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040540
AMA Style
Abt V, Gringel F, Han A, Neubauer P, Birkholz M. Separation, Characterization, and Handling of Microalgae by Dielectrophoresis. Microorganisms. 2020; 8(4):540. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040540
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbt, Vinzenz; Gringel, Fabian; Han, Arum; Neubauer, Peter; Birkholz, Mario. 2020. "Separation, Characterization, and Handling of Microalgae by Dielectrophoresis" Microorganisms 8, no. 4: 540. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040540
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