Hi Artun, can you do gas chromatography in your lab or department? If possible, you can find some papers describing quantification of PHA by gas chromatography. That is an easier way to measure PHA than TEM.

PHA content can be measured at single cell level by flow cytometry or flurescence microscopy using Nile red (or Nile blue) staining. Maybe also Sudan black staining and optical microscopy could be suitable method for you...

I did simple wet mount observations under phase contrast microscope. Its very easy and give you quick results. Try and observe a PHA producing culture at different intervals under microscope. no staining, no heat fixing.

GC-FID is accurate but you need lyophilized biomass. Sudan black B and Nile blue A are also used but mostly for screening purposes as reported in many articles.

Thanks Chien But I am interested in looking at PHA content of each individual cell. Also Thank you Stanislav and Iftikhar for your useful comments, I will try both.

Hi Artun,

 I hope you have tried those suggested by others. I was curious to know if you also have followed fluorescent microscopy after nile blue staining. Also, let me know if you have successfully done FACS for your purpose, I tried the same but could not exactly done that. 

Also, are you working with Dr. Ipsita Roy at Westminster, have followed few articles of her?

Hi Prasun, 

I have managed to observe the accumulation under phase contrast microscope, when you look at  different stages of growth, the accumulation is very clear.

Also, yes we are in the same research group with Dr. Roy, she is my second supervisor and we are working together on this project.