Characterization of a single cell of Chlorella in a microfluidic channel using amperometric electrode arrays.

Electrochemical characteristics of O2 and/or mediators secreted by a single cell of Chlorella fusea were analyzed by using amperometric measurements on microelectrodes embedded in a microfluidic device. A single cell was trapped in a microfluidic channel, which simplifies the mass transfer phenomenon, i.e., one-dimensional distribution of solutes in the channel. Such amperometric measurements allowed us to obtain more refined data in a localized space and to understand photosynthetic behavior of algae at the single cell level. In addition, the concentration of a photosynthetic mediator, p-benzoquinone, was numerically calculated by using the finite element method.