A DEVICE THAT COMBINES LIGHT ATTENUATION AND SCATTERING FOR THE MEASUREMENTS OF OPTICALLY DENSE ALGAL CULTURES IN CELL CULTURE FLASKS.
- 1Brock University
Abstract
Studying algae requires specialized equipment to characterize culture growth and physiological performance and non-invasive monitoring of these cultures typically relies on optical density (OD) measurements. Currently, OD is often measured using standard spectrometers that suffer from detector saturation at high cell densities, which requires time consuming sample dilutions and lacks compatibility with flat-walled cell culture flasks like Roux bottles. Here we describe a 3D-printable device to measure optically dense algal cultures directly within these cultivation vessels. This instrument combines light attenuation and scattering, resulting in a dual-sensor system that utilizes near-infrared light (950 nm) to precisely quantify biomass without interference from changing photosynthetic pigments. Cultures that reach high cell densities can be assumed to be accurately quantified in situ using the scattered signal, preserving the integrity of the culture and eliminating the need for subsampling. This method is adaptable to the most common geometries of Roux bottles (T-25, T-75, and T-175) and could be used to monitor small-scale batch cultures without contamination risks. A cyanobacteria algal species (Limnospira platensis) and three flask sizes were analysed on light attenuation linearity and scattering detection limits at different cell concentration, demonstrating that the light attenuation module can reliably measure biomass up to an OD of 3.1 (equivalent to >1.5 g/L) without requiring dilution.
Related
- A unified decision framework combines phenotypic and genomic information for nonlinear selection in plant breeding
- Motor Expertise Combines Lower Task Engagement with Enhanced Error Sensitivity
- Bioreactor cultures of brain endothelial cells produce extracellular vesicles with comparable characteristics as that of batch cultures
- Chitosan Nanoparticles Alleviate Salinity‐Induced Growth Inhibition in in Vitro Shoot Cultures of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)
- Universality Meets Cultural Nuances: Affective Responses to Rhythmic and Harmonic Complexity Across Cultures
BibTeX
@misc{perezloera2026device,
title = {{A DEVICE THAT COMBINES LIGHT ATTENUATION AND SCATTERING FOR THE MEASUREMENTS OF OPTICALLY DENSE ALGAL CULTURES IN CELL CULTURE FLASKS.}},
author = {J. A. Perez-Loera and M. Zavala and A. Zavafer},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.25.754582},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.25.754582v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A DEVICE THAT COMBINES LIGHT ATTENUATION AND SCATTERING FOR THE MEASUREMENTS OF OPTICALLY DENSE ALGAL CULTURES IN CELL CULTURE FLASKS.
AU - J. A. Perez-Loera
AU - M. Zavala
AU - A. Zavafer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.25.754582
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.25.754582v1
AB - Studying algae requires specialized equipment to characterize culture growth and physiological performance and non-invasive monitoring of these cultures typically relies on optical density (OD) measurements. Currently, OD is often measured using standard spectrometers that suffer from detector saturation at high cell densities, which requires time consuming sample dilutions and lacks compatibility with flat-walled cell culture flasks like Roux bottles. Here we describe a 3D-printable device to measure optically dense algal cultures directly within these cultivation vessels. This instrument combines light attenuation and scattering, resulting in a dual-sensor system that utilizes near-infrared light (950 nm) to precisely quantify biomass without interference from changing photosynthetic pigments. Cultures that reach high cell densities can be assumed to be accurately quantified in situ using the scattered signal, preserving the integrity of the culture and eliminating the need for subsampling. This method is adaptable to the most common geometries of Roux bottles (T-25, T-75, and T-175) and could be used to monitor small-scale batch cultures without contamination risks. A cyanobacteria algal species (Limnospira platensis) and three flask sizes were analysed on light attenuation linearity and scattering detection limits at different cell concentration, demonstrating that the light attenuation module can reliably measure biomass up to an OD of 3.1 (equivalent to >1.5 g/L) without requiring dilution.
ER -