Single-cell imaging and machine learning reveal hidden coordination in algae's response to light stress

Researchers from several Parisian institutions have worked together to develop a non-destructive approach to study how unicellular organisms respond to stress, focusing on cell-to-cell differences. Working together, the researchers combined custom fluorescence microscopy with machine learning. Together, they measured how individual algae cells protect their photosynthetic machinery from excess light. This revealed unexpected coordination between protective mechanisms that remains invisible when measuring cell populations in bulk.