3D X-ray microscopy lights up nanoparticles in plants

Abstract

The discovery of novel plant fertilization strategies heavily relies on our capabilities to probe physiological processes in living plants with sub-cellular precision. State-of-the-art microscopy techniques are in general limited to surface investigation or they require elaborated tissue preparation and often destruction. X-ray microscopy has the potential to resolve some of these limitations by generating micro-to nanometer-scale 3D images deep into the tissue. We introduce experimental designs and the quantitative analysis methodologies, pioneering nanoscale ({approx}150 nm resolution) in-vivo 3D microscopy of plant tissue. We show the first direct in-vivo visualization of foliar-applied untagged nanoparticulate fertilizers deep under the leaf surface, not accessible by other microscopy methods. Ultimately, our approach provides the means for a direct observation of nanoparticle transport and dissolution in living plant tissue, a step critical for developing sustainable plant fertilization approaches.

Plant phenotyping relevance

植物組織を対象とする生体内3D X線イメージングと定量解析手法の開発が中心で、ナノ粒子の組織内移動・溶解という植物の生理状態を直接可視化している。

Code and data availability

植物フェノタイピング解析を再現する公開資産であることを、入力本文と直接リンクから確認できなかったため保留しました。

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