Engaging inexpensive hands-on activities using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (a green micro-alga) beads to teach the interplay of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to K4–K16 Biology students

BACKGROUND: Photosynthesis and cellular respiration play major roles in energy metabolism and are important Life Science topics for K16 Biology students. Algae beads are used for photosynthesis and cellular respiration labs. Currently there are a few companies that sell biology educational kits for making algae beads using non-motile green micro-algae to introduce students to photosynthesis. These kits are expensive and, do not come with detailed guidelines for trouble shooting and customizations for different grade levels. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a motile green micro-alga and is an excellent model system for photosynthesis studies. In this article, we are presenting the work conducted in the student-driven, American Society of Plant Biologists-funded, Plant-BLOOME educational outreach project. This project is a supervised collaborative effort of three undergraduates and one high school student. We have generated a protocol which can be used to make Chlamydomonas beads. We have used these beads to design two simple and inexpensive plant biology hands-on activities. These laboratory activities have been customized to teach the interplay of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to K4–K16 Biology students. METHODS: Chlamydomonas beads were used for two different laboratory activities that involved monitoring pH changes over time using a pH indicator. Our first activity centers on making and, using light-powered algae bead bracelets to monitor dramatic color/pH changes over time when exposed to darkness or light. Our second activity employs strain-specific algae beads with approximately equal cell numbers to conduct comparative photosynthesis and cellular respiration studies in two Chlamydomonas strains namely, wild type, 4A+ and, a high light-sensitive, photosynthetic mutant, 10E35/lsr1a. RESULTS: We optimized our experimental protocol using algae beads in a 5.5 mL screw capped glass vials before performing the same experiment in algae bead bracelets. We found that the algal cell density/bead, water type used in the experiment and, the duration of dark exposure of algal beads can affect successful implementation of the lab activities. Light-powered algae bead bracelets showed dramatic color/pH changes within 3 h upon exposure to light or darkness. These bracelets could be switched back and forth between darkness and light multiple times within 48–72 h to display color/pH changes, provided prior dark exposure time did not exceed 9 h. Our comparative studies of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in 10E35 and in 4A+ showed that relative respiration rate and photosynthetic rate is higher and lower in 10E35, respectively, compared to that in 4A+. Additionally, 10E35 failed to display the expected photosynthesis-induced pH/color changes in the light after prolonged exposure to darkness which indicated that prolonged dark exposure of 10E35, hindered photosynthesis.