Electrochemical System for Simultaneous Monitoring of Immobilized Algal Flagellar Movement and Phototaxis

An electrochemical system equipped with dual electrodes was developed for the simultaneous monitoring of motility and phototaxis of immobilized single flagellate alga, Volvox carteri. The flagellate alga was immobilized on a polyion complex membrane. Photoinduced behavior of flagellate alga was recorded as changes in the redox currents for a coexisting redox marker ([Fe(CN)6]3−). From the amperometric measurements, the immobilized alga possessed its flagellar activity on the polyion complex membrane. In addition, it was found that changes of algal flagellar movement induced by phototaxis gave rise to different current changes at each electrode.