Rapid and Automated Quantification of Microalgal Lipids on a Spinning Disc.

We have developed a fully integrated centrifugal microfluidic device for rapid on-site quantification of lipids from microalgal samples. The fully automated serial process involving cell sedimentation and lysis, liquid-liquid extraction, and colorimetric detection of lipid contents was accomplished within 13 min using a lab-on-a-disc. The presented organic solvent-tolerable (for n-hexane, ethanol) microfluidic disc was newly fabricated by combining thermal fusion bonding and carbon dot-based valving techniques. It is expected that this novel platform will possibly contribute toward sustainable biofuel applications by providing a practical solution for on-site monitoring of lipid accumulation in microalgal samples, thus providing imperative contribution toward energy and environmental purposes of centrifugal microfluidic technology.