Microfluidic Rig for Microbial Processes

The visual analysis of the behavior of gas at a pore scale during underground storage is a vital pillar of the institute’s research activities.

Microbial cultures, their biochemical interactions with mixtures and the influence on the gas composition are essential parameters to be observed and quantified. The Institute of Subsurface Energy Systems possesses a high-quality and multifunctional high-resolution microscope which is equipped with two separate origins of examination light, a dark and bright field and a high-speed camera.

With six different magnification lenses, the microscope provides the possibility to capture the entire micromodel or single spaces inside the porous media. This process is also equipped with an integrated data acquisition and heating device (max. 120 °C). For the observation of microbial processes, an image processing algorithm has been developed and applied to quantify changes in microbial density with time. Measuring the gas composition inside the system with a gas chromatograph can be conducted down to very low flow rates (µl/min).