TY - JOUR
T1 - Growth, Distribution, and Photosynthesis of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii in 3D Hydrogels
AU - Oh, Jeong Joo
AU - Ammu, Satya
AU - Vriend, Vivian Dorine
AU - Kieffer, Roland
AU - Kleiner, Friedrich Hans
AU - Balasubramanian, Srikkanth
AU - Karana, Elvin
AU - Masania, Kunal
AU - Aubin-Tam, Marie Eve
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Engineered living materials (ELMs) are a novel class of functional materials that typically feature spatial confinement of living components within an inert polymer matrix to recreate biological functions. Understanding the growth and spatial configuration of cellular populations within a matrix is crucial to predicting and improving their responsive potential and functionality. Here, this work investigates the growth, spatial distribution, and photosynthetic productivity of eukaryotic microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) in three-dimensionally shaped hydrogels in dependence of geometry and size. The embedded C. reinhardtii cells photosynthesize and form confined cell clusters, which grow faster when located close to the ELM periphery due to favorable gas exchange and light conditions. Taking advantage of location-specific growth patterns, this work successfully designs and prints photosynthetic ELMs with increased CO2 capturing rate, featuring high surface to volume ratio. This strategy to control cell growth for higher productivity of ELMs resembles the already established adaptations found in multicellular plant leaves.
AB - Engineered living materials (ELMs) are a novel class of functional materials that typically feature spatial confinement of living components within an inert polymer matrix to recreate biological functions. Understanding the growth and spatial configuration of cellular populations within a matrix is crucial to predicting and improving their responsive potential and functionality. Here, this work investigates the growth, spatial distribution, and photosynthetic productivity of eukaryotic microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) in three-dimensionally shaped hydrogels in dependence of geometry and size. The embedded C. reinhardtii cells photosynthesize and form confined cell clusters, which grow faster when located close to the ELM periphery due to favorable gas exchange and light conditions. Taking advantage of location-specific growth patterns, this work successfully designs and prints photosynthetic ELMs with increased CO2 capturing rate, featuring high surface to volume ratio. This strategy to control cell growth for higher productivity of ELMs resembles the already established adaptations found in multicellular plant leaves.
KW - 3D printing
KW - CO consumption
KW - engineered living material
KW - functional living surface
KW - hydrogel
KW - microalgae
KW - spatial organization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85177840141&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/adma.202305505
DO - 10.1002/adma.202305505
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85177840141
SN - 0935-9648
VL - 36
JO - Advanced Materials
JF - Advanced Materials
IS - 2
M1 - 2305505
ER -