Complex Stimuli Induced by Surface Discharge Method Enable Minimally Invasive and High‐Efficiency Macromolecule Delivery Into <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i>
ABSTRACT Intracellular delivery of macromolecules into microalgae has been constrained by rigid cell walls. This study presents a high‐efficiency, high‐viability method for delivering macromolecules into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using surface discharge plasma. At a nominal voltage of 25 kV, which produced a favorable balance between delivery efficiency and cell viability, the method achieved > 40% efficiency for 250 kDa FITC‐dextran while maintaining > 80% viability. Under the same conditions, 2 MDa FITC‐dextran was also delivered. Orthogonal cross‐sectional analysis confirmed intracellular cargo localization. Delivery results from cellular responses to plasma‐induced complex stimuli; the ~60% reduction highlights endocytosis as a major pathway, whereas the remaining fraction may involve multifaceted processes such as transient membrane permeabilization. This integrated approach enables minimally invasive macromolecule entry into microalgae.
Authors
- Taiki Hirohata
- Yoshihisa Ikeda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7750-1124)
- Kazuki Tange
- Masafumi Jinno
Institutions
- Matsuyama University (JP)
- Ehime University (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Plasma Processes and Polymers
- Published
- 2026-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ppap.70184
- Primary Topic
- Algal biology and biofuel production
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00