Phenoplate: An innovative method for assessing interacting effects of temperature and light on non-photochemical quenching in microalgae under chemical stress

The synthetic future of algal genomes

“… 99 However, recycling of marker genes in the nuclear genome has not yet been reported, so the number of successive engineering events that can be performed is limited by the availability of selection markers. Automation of genetic engineering, facilitated by robotic handling 114 in conjunction with high-throughput analytics and phenomic screens, 115 will play a role in increasing the speed of algal strain development. 116 Older techniques, such as protoplast fusion, whereby two cells can be physically merged and aspects of their genomes combined, may be useful in engineered strains when mating or marker recycling (discussed in the next section) is not feasible.…”

Unmasking Spatial Heterogeneity in Phytotoxicology Mechanisms Induced by Carbamazepine by Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Multiomics Analyses

“…Critical measures of photosynthetic performance, such as the maximum photosynthetic efficiency Fv/Fm and the actual efficiency Y(II), 32 significantly decreased to as low as 30% of the control levels or nearly zero, emphasizing extensive disruption, particularly at the leaf edges. Moreover, nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) and quantum yields of nonregulatory [Y(NO)] energy dissipation, reflecting the adaptive response of plants to light stress, 33 were also severely affected, with the most substantial inhibition at the leaf margins. These results demonstrate that CBZ exposure causes enhanced photosynthetic impairment at the leaf edges.…”

Thalassiosira pseudonana (Cyclotella nana) (Hustedt) Hasle et Heimdal (Bacillariophyceae): A genetically tractable model organism for studying diatom biology, including biological silica formation

“…The phenome encompasses the complete set of phenotypic traits influenced by genetic factors and environmental interactions. The first diatom phenomics analysis was recently conducted with Thalassiosira pseudonana using the “Phenoplate.” This consists of a 96‐well plate positioned in a PCR thermocycler allowing for the creation of a temperature gradient ranging from 10°C to 35°C and an imaging PAM (pulse amplitude modulation; Herdean et al, 2022) that enables high‐throughput measurements of physiological responses of cells to chemical stress and varying light intensities. This innovative methodology holds great potential for advancing our understanding of diatom biology and exploring the complex interplay between genetic factors, environmental conditions, and phenotypic traits.…”